


Holding Back

by kimmyiewrites (arosetosomeone)



Category: Bridgerton (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate universe - Mafia, F/M, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29594382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arosetosomeone/pseuds/kimmyiewrites
Summary: It is that time again to place your bets on who will secure a higher place in the King’s organization or will secure a strong tie between families. Today the ladies of this underground organization presented themselves to Charlotte King and depending on how well they performed determined whether they will secure themselves a promotion.After returning home from traveling around the world, Katherine Gibbs is thrown into a tradition that keeps the King Crime Organization strong and at the top. It seems however now that she is home too many people have missed her and she doesn't have much time for a social calendar. Will she still be able to find love while she works hard to prove that she is even better for the organization than her father was at keeping things hush, hush?
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Original Female Character(s), Benedict Bridgerton/Original Male Character(s), Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset, Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. The Return

As the skyline of London came into view from her airplane window, the brunette let out a sigh as  she lowered her headphones around her neck. Her companion laughed, causing her to  send a glare his way. It had been awhile since she had been home. With her staying around for an indefinite amount of time, she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea, especially since it was near the matchmaking fanfare that the families of the King Organization participated in.

“You didn’t have to come back with me, you know.” He told her.

“I know but things would have been boring without you.” She smiled before turning back to look  out the window. 

After graduation, Katherine Gibbs took several tours around the world to ensure she knew all  the ins and outs of the world she was about to enter into once she returned home. She wanted  to have good relationships with all the moving pieces not only with the partnerships that were in  the spotlight but those that were in the shadows as well. Being the only heir to the Gibbs  Communications empire, Katherine had a lot of pressure placed upon her shoulders.

She wasn’t alone in her travels. While in university she met one Simon Basset, the heir to  Hastings Banking. Simon didn’t particularly care for any sides of the family business. His father  was a cruel man, and he didn’t want to do anything that could potentially make his father proud.  At a young age Simon had been met with the pressures of being perfect. It was only because of  Lydia Danbury that he knew how to run not only Hastings Banking but the shadier side of his family’s company as well.

With Katherine’s purpose behind her travels, he told his father the same thing. They took in  what they could but that didn’t stop them from having some fun together. With no return date in  sight for the pair, their families made them help in setting up other locations throughout the  globe. They didn’t mind. It meant they got to stay in places a lot longer and not deal with the full  responsibility of their companies just yet.

That is, of course, until Richard Basset grew gravely ill.

Simon packed his bags, fully intending on letting Katherine continue her dodging of  responsibilities on her own but she was having none of it. “I’m not letting you do this alone. You  didn’t let me go through my hardships alone so what makes you think I’m going to let you?” She  argued.

He gave her a small, grateful smile and they continued to pack in silence.

❀

“Keep me updated and if you need me to come over, I will.” Katherine said as they waited  for their rides at the arrivals gate.

“Of course.” He gave a small nod to the driver of the crown car he sent for when it pulled up. Simon then wrapped an arm around Katherine’s shoulders, bringing her close to him in a side hug before placing a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you, Kitty.”

She smiled, squeezing his waist for a moment before letting go. 

It wasn’t too much longer until Katherine’s car arrived. Eddie, her driver, took her luggage and set it in the trunk as she slid into the back seat. “It’s good to see you, Eddie.” Katherine  said once he returned to the driver’s seat.

“You too, Miss Gibbs. I’m taking you to your apartment, correct?”

Katherine nodded. “Unless mum or dad want to see me.”

“They made no mention of it tonight. Mrs. Gibbs, however, was wondering if you would join  them for breakfast.”

Sighing, Katherine pulled out her phone. “I’ll text her. Thanks, Eddie.”

❀

Breakfast was at 9 a.m. Katherine would have much preferred to still be in bed so she could  hopefully get over her jet lag soon, but she knew not to keep her parents waiting. Elizabeth and  Howard Gibbs could not be any more different. Elizabeth walked through life with as much of a  free spirit as one could in the business that she was in. She was a firm believer in following  one’s heart and dreams and that all would work itself out if that were to happen. Howard,  however, was strict and traditional. He had high expectations and if anything were out of place  or went wrong, he was swift in his punishments.

“There’s my beautiful daughter.” Elizabeth smiled as she came over to hug Katherine.

“Hi, mum.” Katherine greeted, easily returning her mother’s embrace.

“So, my daughter has finally decided to stop traipsing around the world and come home.”  Howard said, stepping into the foyer.

“Pretty sure I set up some offices while I was doing that, but you know, good to see you too,  dad.” She gave her best smile as she stepped around Elizabeth to see her father.

“I don’t want any attitude out of you, young lady.”

Elizabeth placed her hands on Katherine’s shoulders. “Howard, she just got back. The new  offices have been successful. She’s even taken care of the Cowper and Throwbridge accounts brilliantly while she’s been abroad. Can we have a nice family breakfast before we start talking  business, please.”

Howard sighed as he turned on his heel to walk towards the dining room.

“What do you mean before we start talking business?” Katherine asked as she and her mother  followed behind him.

“Let’s eat first, dear.” Elizabeth smiled.

The large banquet table was set with three covered dishes. Champagne flutes filled with  mimosas sat by her and her mother’s place at the table while at the head of the table sat a tall  glass filled with a bloody mary. Once they were all seated, they removed the metal cover keeping their breakfast warm. Katherine had to keep herself from laughing when she saw that it was her favorite dish. A large, fluffy Belgian waffle covered with fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup, and powdered sugar greeted her. Something was going on and her parents were trying to butter her up for sure.

They ate in silence. The only sound in the room were their forks and knives clinking and  scraping across their plates. About halfway through her waffle, Katherine couldn’t take it  anymore. No one was asking about her travels, no one was making snide comments about how  she was eating, no one was talking period and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright, what is it?  What have you two concocted for me while I was away?”

“Katherine, dear, you haven’t even finished your waffle yet, is it not any good?” Elizabeth asked,  hoping to stave this conversation off for a little while longer. She knew her daughter would not like what had been decided at all.

“Oh, Bessie, she’s a grown woman. You can’t protect her from this any longer.” Howard said,  setting down his silverware before focusing on his daughter.

“Before you take over Gibbs Communications, you will be placed in charge of a few of our top  accounts and you will be participating in the boss’ matchmaking event.”

At first Katherine didn’t understand why her mother was trying to push things off. She knew  exactly which accounts she would probably be given. Then her father kept talking and she felt  like all air had been sucked from her lungs. Charlotte King ran London’s underworld operations.  To keep families powerful and on top, she held a yearly matchmaking event during the spring  that mirrored the rituals of a more proper England.  Katherine wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.  “Are you serious?” She asked, looking between her parents.

“Katherine, we just don’t want you to be alone.” Her mother tried to defend.

“I’m perfectly capable of running things on my own.”

“You need someone who can protect you.” Her father said.

Katherine motioned towards the bodyguards standing just outside the room. “That’s what they’re for.”

“Katherine Marie Gibbs, I will not hear any protest. If you do not find someone to marry, you  cannot take over this company and all of its dealings.”

“And why not?” Katherine argued. “All we do is clean up their messes. Why do I need to be further connected than the friendships I have? You two didn’t meet that way.”

“Because it’s what is expected of the children of those who are in the business.”

Katherine stood with a roll of her eyes. She wasn’t going to take this anymore. And her mother wondered why she stayed away for so long. “That is absolutely ridiculous. I can run everything about this business just fine. And I’ll show you by the end of this week.”

“You will not go near the Bridgerton or the Featherington accounts unless you agree to following  the boss’ rules.”

“You’re joking. Is this some kind of punishment? It’s not like I didn’t work while I made my way  around the world.”

“I’m getting closer to retirement, Kitty. It is time you took over but there are rules that must be  followed if you are to maintain the trust that the King empire and our other clients have in our company, in our work.”

“Then let me show them through my work.”

“Kitty, that’s enough.” Her mother finally spoke up. Despite now being run by a woman, the organization still adhered to ways of old. While Katherine was out traveling, Elizabeth had to listen to all the scrutiny their circle of friends had towards her daughter. “We tried to find some other way but your connections with Anthony Bridgerton and Simon Basset are not going to cut it due to their reputations. We want the best for you, truly, and I know that this situation isn’t ideal, but it must be done. We’re still too new for you to skip out.”

Katherine growled in frustration, running a hand through her hair. Her father had won the  Bridgerton account just before Edmund Bridgerton died. After such a successful campaign,  Violet introduced him to Archie Featherington and after that, he was introduced to the London  underworld they both were a part of. Charlotte King had been so impressed that she made Gibbs Communication the official communications group of her crime circle. Since she was the first child of the Gibbs family after their induction into the King organized crime group, she now  apparently had to play nice.

“Fine, send an acceptance on my behalf. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few phone calls to  make.”

Stalking out of the dining room, Katherine pulled out her phone to call one Anthony Bridgerton.  After her father had won the account, he worked closely with Edmund and Violet, bringing  Elizabeth and Katherine around when appropriate. The Gibbs and Bridgertons soon created a  small friendship but Katherine’s friendship with Anthony wouldn’t grow until they were roaming  the halls of Oxford together.

Rolling her eyes at getting his voicemail, Katherine slid into the back seat of the company car,  informing Eddie that she’d like to go into the office. “Anthony, it’s Kitty. I’m back in town so once  you’re done fucking that actress of yours, please call me back. I have things we need to talk  about because my father remains on his bullshit and has roped my mother into it this time. Talk  soon.”

Once she hung up, she sent a quick text to Simon. Asking for him to call her when he could.  She hoped that his morning was going far better than hers.

❀

Simon sat patiently waiting for his father to be discharged to a hospice care facility. His father  had been sick for some time now but with him getting closer to the end of his life, Simon finally  decided that he would be around. He hated that it cut into his and Katherine’s time abroad. He  was actually enjoying himself when of course his father had to ruin things yet again. Just because he wanted to end the Basset ties to Hastings and King’s crime organization, didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to do his job. He would just be the last Basset involved.

It seemed thinking of Katherine caused her to appear to him in the form of a text message. He  grew worried but just as he was about to call, the nurse came back into the room. He sent a  message back, informing her that he’d call when they got settled into his father’s Hospice room.

Take your time. She responded back, sending a blue heart emoji as well as she traveled up the  lift to her office.

When she arrived, she was reminded of how bare the space was. It held no life or vibrancy  that resembled the woman it belonged to. It was as cold as the glass and metal that made up the room. She made the mental note to bring things in to decorate. For now, she was here on business. She needed to know every detail of each of the accounts she would be taking over since she had been away.

She focused on the Featheringtons first since she didn’t have a personal connection to them,  wanting to sound professional when reaching out to Archie, the head of the family and business. As she read through the file, she situated herself with one of her feet in her chair so she could rest her chin on her knee. She was so engrossed in what she was reading that she didn’t notice Anthony walking into her office.

“I come bearing gifts.” Anthony said, holding up a small bakery box, grinning.

Katherine startled and looked up, grinning when she noticed the box. “Red velvet?”

“As if there would be anything else.” He placed the box on her desk, opening it with a small smirk to reveal that inside was in fact red velvet cupcakes.

“You have a good morning?” She teased as she took one of the cupcakes.

“You know just because I don’t answer doesn’t mean I’m with Sienna.”

Katherine laughed as she began to pull the paper around the sweet treat down. “Don’t even. You always answer when I call unless you are in between someone’s legs or in a meeting but even then you text me right away to let me know that so don’t try it.”

He rolled his eyes as he brought the other cupcake towards him, settling into the chair across  from her desk. “When did you get back?”

“Last night.”

“And you’re just now telling me.”

“Sleep was a little more important.”

Anthony chuckled. “Oh, alright. So what bullshit is your father on now?”

“I had to agree to do the King’s matchmaking thing to take on yours and Featherington's account as well as eventually take over the company.” She said after she finished chewing.

“Well just go to the events. You don’t have to do the whole thing do you?”

Katherine nodded. “Said I needed someone to protect me and a whole bunch of other nonsense  along the lines of we’re still considered a newer family.” Her eyes then widened as she thought  of something, a possible other reason for her father to force this thing on her. She lowered her  cupcake to try to get her hands to stop shaking. “You don’t think they know, do you?”

Anthony moved to sit on the edge of his seat and reached over to place a comforting squeeze to  her wrist. “No one knows what happened that semester. Simon and I made sure of it.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” He smiled reassuringly before leaning back in his chair. “So, with you taking on my family’s account, does that mean I get to see you more often?” He asked before taking a bite  out of his cupcake.

“Yeah. Looks like I’m home for good for a while. You’re going to be at these events, right? Isn’t

your sister making her debut?”

He nodded. “Sure is, and Daphne would love to see you. They all would.”

“Aw, did you miss me?” She teased him with a small pout.

“I believe I said Daphne and the others.” He teased her right back, smirking.

“Guess I’ll just spend all my time with them then.”

“You would get so bored.”

“I don’t think so. Ben’s rather entertaining.”

“Benedict? Really?”

Katherine laughed. “I just hope you know you set yourself up for that. Just walked right into it.”

Anthony shook his head as he stood. “Always good to see you, Kitty. Don’t be a stranger.” He  flashed her his most charming smile.

“Same goes for you, mister, and thanks for the cupcakes.” She emphasized by popping the last  bite into her mouth.

❀

Simon called her on her way home. She informed him of her situation, and he promised to help  her figure a way to get out of things as soon as his father passed away, but he couldn’t join in  the festivities in fear of Lydia Danbury setting him up. He then told her about his father’s  condition and they planned out how she would help him step away from the business.

“Do you need me to bring dinner by?” Katherine asked.

“No. I’ll be fine. I’m going to leave for the night anyway. Have fun getting ready for the  introductions.”

Katherine groaned. “Don’t remind me. My mom already sent me a meeting planner about  fittings.”

Simon laughed. “Good luck.”


	2. The Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you so much for all the love this story has received already! At the end of the chapter there's some photo edits I've done to show off all of the outfits mentioned in this chapter. Happy reading!

A resounding knock sounded throughout Katherine’s flat causing the brunette to groan. Turning over to check the time, she let out an exasperated sigh. It wasn’t anywhere near the time her mother said she would be over. It was nearly two hours earlier and the sun had barely even risen. If this was how things were going to be, she would need to start planning on how to make her parent’s life miserable.

With a huff, Katherine threw off her covers and hastily pulled on her robe, hurrying to open the door before another loud knock happened again. The moment she opened the door a woman with a clothing rack walked in, looking apologetic as she headed towards the bedroom.

“Did we wake you?” Elizabeth asked, not looking apologetic at all.

“Yes, mum. You’re two hours early.” She replied with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, there’s just so many things to try on and get right. I’ll put on some coffee.” She said with a smile and made her way into the kitchen. “Go ahead and start trying things on with Genevieve. While I get this started.” She waved her daughter away.

Everything on the rack was white. Katherine snorted at the ridiculousness of it all. Was the value of her virtue still graded on whether she was still a virgin? If so, that ship sailed off long ago and ended in a massive shipwreck. “Is there one that doesn’t make me look like a bride?” She asked, undoing her robe, and tossing it on her bed.

“That’s exactly what this is for.” Genevieve said.

“Great.” She muttered as she pushed the tulle monstrosity, she was pretty sure was an actual wedding dress, to the side.

The first dress she came to that wasn’t an immediate no was a short lace dress that hit mid thigh. The sleeves belled out and came down to the middle of her hand. She sent a wicked look towards Genevieve before she went to the bathroom to change since she needed to put on a bra and underwear. 

Genevieve laughed. “You know I wouldn’t do you dirty like that.” She called out through the door.

“You’re truly a wonder Genevieve Delacroix!” Katherine replied.

Seeing the dress actually on her, Katherine knew right away that her mother would not let her out of her own flat dressed like that. It would be worth a try, especially since it was included in the dresses to pick from.

As predicted the moment Katherine stepped foot into her kitchen, Elizabeth shook her head. “No, absolutely not. Go try again.”

The second dress wasn’t better per say except maybe in length. The dress came just past Katherine’s knees but had a slit up the left leg that stopped mid-thigh. It hugged her curves and the asymmetrical shoulder cut out created a sweetheart neckline. She actually liked the dress and could see herself wearing it somewhere else but she needed to think business soiree.

“Oh, honestly Katherine. This is supposed to be classy.”

“I think this is very classy.” Katherine argued but her smirk gave her away.

“Nice try. Gen, please dress my daughter in something classy.” She called out.

It was a long while until Katherine finally appeared again. Genevieve looked over everything she had brought, trying to find something that would fit her friend’s style and Elizabeth’s requirements. After a couple more no’s from Katherine, they finally landed on the outfit, she could get behind. It was a jumpsuit, but the pant legs were wide enough and with the two different fabrics, they looked like a skirt when she stood with her legs side by side. A thin pearl collar connected the strips of fabric allowing for a deep v in the front and for the back to remain open. With a once over in the mirror, Katherine felt like a powerful businesswoman. This was what she was going to wear regardless of what her mother said. “Gen, this is perfect.”

“I completely forgot that I had brought it. I should have offered it first since now I remember picking it out getting ready this morning knowing it would be the perfect match for you.”

“Well, I’m glad you remembered.” Katherine smiled at her friend in the mirror before going out into the kitchen. Her bell bottoms swished as she went and when she got to the edge of the kitchen, she posed, placing her hands on her hips. “This is the one.”

Elizabeth looked her daughter over, motioning for her to do a spin. Sighing at the sight of the open back, she nodded, knowing she wouldn’t be able to change her daughter’s mind. “It’s a good compromise and you do look great.”

Katherine smiled. “Great. So, I’m going to change and then you’re going to tell me the real reason why you were here two hours early.”

❀

A coffee cup was waiting for her at the kitchen island when she returned to the kitchen. She would have a little bit of time while Genevieve went to go grab the accessories that would go best with the outfit she had chosen. “What’s going on, mum?” Katherine asked as she slid onto the stool, bringing her cup close to her, soaking in the warmth before taking a sip.

“I’m worried about you, sweet pea. I’m worried you’re not taking this seriously. This could make or break us.”

“No pressure or anything.” Katherine muttered behind the lip of her cup.

“I just know that we, I have raised you to be so independent and to follow your heart and I’m worried that you might act out because you feel like you’re being caged in.”

“When have I ever acted out because I was feeling pressured?”

“What about that summer you spent with Simon and Anthony instead of coming back home?”

Katherine rolled her eyes even if dread started to build in her stomach. “That was just a road trip with two of my best friends. All three of us needed a little break from the family business so the sands of the Moroccan beaches were calling our names. We didn’t even cause any trouble.”

Elizabeth sighed. “That’s exactly my point, Kitty. All three of you are being so closely watched and with those boy’s reputations, we just want someone for you that’s a little more stable, that will look out for you.”

“Mum, I’m not going to change who my friends are and I’m certainly not going to change who I am. Whoever I wind up with needs to know exactly what they’re getting into. At these events, I promise to be nothing but a respectable lady, but you’ve got to let me pick who I want to spend the rest of my life with on my own.”

Elizabeth sighed as she got up to open the door for Genevieve. “Just be cautious, sweet pea. You’re about to realize just how closely you’re watched.” 

To try and ease her mother’s nerves, she sat at her vanity and let her pick what accessories she would wear. Things were going great. On one arm she would wear a thin gold cuff around her wrist while on the other she would wear an intricate gold cuff around her arm that looked like a vine, leaves and all. Pearl teardrop earrings would adorn her ears and then Elizabeth placed a white pillbox hat on top of her head with a net veil that came just under her nose with pearl flower embellishments.

“Mum, no. There’s got to be something else. What about a comb or two?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “This will look great, Kitty. It’s elegant and it allows for that demure look.”

“You are aware that I’m far from demure, right?” Katherine asked, raising her eyebrow towards her mother in the mirror.

“You must pretend.” 

“I would think someone in this business would want someone who can fend for themselves.”

“They want someone that they can protect.”

“So, I have to act like I know what I’m doing yet need protecting?”

“Exactly.” Elizabeth smiled at her daughter in the reflection of the vanity mirror before she started to play with her daughter’s hair. “I think you should curl your hair and have a red lip.”

“That’s not very demure, mother,” Katherine teased.

“Well, like you said. You have to look like you know what you’re doing too.”

Katherine laughed, shaking her head. “Fine, I’ll keep the hat. Now since I have plenty of time to get ready for the day can you show Gen and yourself out?”

Elizabeth smiled, removing the hat, and setting it on the vanity before kissing the top of Katherine’s head. “Of course. Genevieve you’ve outdone yourself yet again. Thank you.”

Katherine smiled at her friend, agreeing with her mother before thanking her. She’d have to remember to stop by Genevieve’s to make sure that they would be on the same page for whatever her mother would request, especially as this season continued on.

❀

The moment she stepped into the Bridgerton Estate, little Gregory and Hyacinth Bridgerton ran right for her, calling out her name. “Oh, my goodness!” Katherine exclaimed as she crouched down to wrap an arm around each of them. “When did you two get so big?!”

“Gregory, Hyacinth, Katherine isn’t here on a social call, let her breathe.” Anthony said as he walked down the steps to the foyer.

“He’s no fun when he’s on business, is he?” She joked with the youngest Bridgerton siblings, causing them both to laugh and shake their heads as they agreed with her.

Katherine stood and smiled down at the two. “I’ll come find you after and I’ll tell you about the time I saw a whale on my travels.”

Anthony rolled his eyes and offered out his arm as the two children screamed out their excitement before hurrying off.

“What?” Katherine asked with a smile as she looped her arm around his. “Are your other siblings here? They’d be disappointed if I didn’t say hello.”

“We’ll see them after we go over this next campaign and then you can go be a social butterfly.”

She sighed, leaning into him. “Fine.” She then pulled her arm away. “But if you insist, we remain professional, then we must remain professional. As I’ve learned this morning we’re watched, very closely apparently.”

Chuckling, he ushered her into the home office. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“Bessie stopped by this morning with Gen to get me ready for introductions and she told me that she was worried that I wasn’t going to take it seriously or that you, me, and Simon would come up with some plan like we did when we all went to Morocco that one summer.”

Anthony snorted. “I highly doubt Simon will be anywhere near these events, but you know if you need an escape plan, I’ll help you.”

Katherine sighed as she plopped into one of the large, leather armchairs. “Thank you. Now,” she sat up a little straighter, “this new campaign of yours. Did you get a chance to look at the mockups I sent you?”

“I did.” He nodded as he sat down next to her. “Everything looked to be pretty standard. As far as I’m concerned you can go ahead and get rolling with that part.”

“Great, I’ll let my team know.” She pulled her phone out and sent a quick text to her marketing team. Once it sent, she looked back up at Anthony. “I was reading over the other part of your file yesterday and do you want to tell me why your usual port is tightening up their monitoring?”

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Berbrooke’s got caught smuggling things in.”

“Why are they a part of this group again?”

“Because Nigel’s father was far better at handling things than Nigel is.”

“Who’s their clean-up crew?”

“Not you.”

Katherine glared at him. “That’s really helpful Anthony.”

“I think it’s the one that fronts as a maid service.”

Rolling her eyes, she set a reminder to call the Dirt Doctor company. She knew that most of King’s crew used her family’s company but a few like the Berbrooke’s who felt like they had something to prove, didn’t use them. Then situations like this happened and it was made clear that the Gibbs were the best at taking care of things. “I’ll look into it and hopefully we won’t have to change ports.”

“If anyone can fix it, it’s you.” He smiled.

“Don’t look at me like that just yet. We’ve also got to talk about you and Sienna.”

Anthony stood with a groan as he walked over to sit behind his desk. “Not you too.”

“Oh, so you have heard this before?” She leaned back in her seat and crossed a leg over the other. The whole affair was bound to be a public relations nightmare that she would have to take care of. Not only that, but she also didn’t want to see her friend get hurt.

“Yes, from my mother, from Ben, and even from your father. I would rather not hear it from you.”

Katherine sighed and raised her hands up in surrender. “I’m not here to tell you who you can and cannot see. I’m just saying to be careful. People know who she is. She’s not involved in your other dealings and I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, especially you.”

Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair. Everyone else had talked about how it would be bad for business and here she was approaching the subject as his friend. God, he really had missed her. “I really am glad you’re back; you know?”

She smiled as she stood, walking around to where he now sat. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she leaned her head against his momentarily. He brought his hands up to hold onto her and they stayed like that for a moment. “I know.” She said before giving his temple a quick kiss.

“Mind if I call Ronan in here?” She asked as she pulled away, scrolling through to find the number she needed. She had decided the issue really couldn’t wait until she got back to the office and she’d need the name of the person from Dirt Doctor before calling them.

Anthony motioned to the room. “Go right ahead.” He liked watching her work. Once she took

over her family’s company, there would truly be nothing stopping her, and he couldn’t wait for her to get to that point.

Katherine smiled her thanks and made her way to one of the windows overlooking the garden as she waited for Ronan to answer. “Hello darling, what’s this I hear about tighter restrictions?” She said as soon as he answered the phone.

Ronan Campbell worked down at the docks for the organization. His father actually started with them to pay off some debts but after he got injured Ronan took over and then stayed on after his father’s debts were paid. They weren’t the richest and the organization paid too well to give it up. He met Katherine once when his dad was in the hospital and the two connected pretty quickly. 

“The Berbrooke men were too careless even after I warned them. It’s like they don’t know not to run their mouths in front of new people. Especially new people looking as squeaky clean as those undercover cops were. So now we’ve got police scheduled to come and do random checks.”

As Ronan spoke, Anthony watched as Katherine nodded, making the appropriate sounds to ensure that he knew she was listening. She’d make someone a very happy man someday. He would just need to make sure that that man would also make her happy because he was not about to let her go through another Luca incident.

“Who did Berbrooke send over?” Katherine asked, as she started to play with the curtain.

“Some lady from the Dirt Doctors. Jamie I think her name was.”

“Well, there’s your problem right there.” She rolled her eyes turning back to face Anthony who tried his best to act as though he hadn’t been watching her. “Have you ever heard of her before they sent her over?”

“Uh, no, no I haven’t.”

“And neither have I, which means that she had no idea what she was doing. Please clear your afternoon. I’ll be there after lunch to sort these issues out.” With that she hung up and pocketed her phone.

“Trowbridge and Cowper are going to hate that they’re losing you as their main contact.” Anthony said with a chuckle.

Katherine waved his statement away. “I do the same for everyone. They just won’t get my full attention anymore since they tend to not get into so much trouble.”

“Should I see what everyone is doing for lunch so you can see them before you wreak havoc down at the dock?”

“That sounds lovely.” Katherine smiled as she followed him out of the office.

❀

Lunch was no simple feat. The dining room was filled with chatter. Francesca told Katherine all about how she was to be going to school in Bath soon. Katherine barely had time to act the proud older sister before telling the youngest siblings about seeing whales in South Africa. Eloise insisted on Katherine sitting next to her so they could catch up after she greeted her with a quick embrace.

Colin greeted her next, hoping to pick her brain on places he absolutely needed to travel to. She promised to send him a whole itinerary before being swept up by Benedict. The two laughed as he spun her around. “Look what the Kat dragged in.” He exclaimed as he set her back down.

“Oh, ha, ha, very funny. How long have you been waiting to use that one?” She asked him, hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips.

“Since I heard you got back.”

“You didn’t think about it for very long then. Got it.” She teased him.

He dropped his jaw and placed a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. “You wound me, Kitty.”

She reached up and patted his cheek. “You’ll live.”

“Alright, let’s have a seat. Katherine has a meeting this afternoon to get to.” Anthony said, giving the two of them a pointed look before looking around.

Benedict nudged Katherine with his elbow giving her a smirk and a wink before going to take his seat.

“Where’s Daphne and mum?” Anthony continued, ignoring how Katherine nudged Benedict back before taking her seat next to Eloise.

“Right here, Anthony. We just finished my last fitting.” Daphne smiled as she and Violet entered the room.

The eldest Bridgerton daughter then hurried over to give Katherine a hug. “I can’t believe we’re going to be debuting together.”

Katherine laughed as she returned the embrace. “I’ll do my best to stay out of your way.”

“But don’t you want to find love?” She pulled back, looking at the older woman as if she had grown a second head.

“Of course, Daph, but you’ve been preparing for this since the day you were born. I, on the other hand am still technically new to all of this.”

Daphne nodded. “Well, still. It’ll be nice to have a true friend to go through this with.”

“It will indeed.” Katherine smiled.

“Yes, why are you just now making this debut, Katherine?” Violet asked.

“I’ve been told it’s a requirement before I take over my family’s company. My father wants to make sure I’ll be looked after when he retires.” Katherine said, sitting up a little straighter.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Violet smiled and then motioned for lunch to be served.

❀

“I think your mother hates me.” Katherine said as she and Anthony stood on the front porch of the estate.

Anthony rolled his eyes. “She does not hate you.”

“Pretty sure she does. I hope you find what you’re looking for. C’mon Anth, what was that?”

He slung an arm around her shoulders as he walked her to the car that just pulled up. “You’re actually one of my decent friendships that’s good about keeping me in line so she does not hate you. You’re still new, like you said so she’s just wary. You’re going to be fine.” He then opened the door for her. “Call me later with updates?”

“You got it.” She gave him a quick hug before sliding into the car.

Anthony closed the door behind her and gave a small wave before going back inside where he was greeted by his mother waiting for him in the foyer. “Oh, please tell me I didn’t just lie to her.”

Violet grew confused. “What did you say?”

“That you’re merely wary of her.”

“I’m not even that. I’ve always enjoyed the girl’s company. I’m just wondering why you haven’t made a move yet.”

Anthony’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about mum?”

“You’ve known her for how long and you’re really going to make her go through this like she’s brand new on the scene. She’s been taking care of Trowbridge and Cowper since she finished her schooling and even took care of things while she was travelling around the world. She’s seasoned.”

He shook his head. “She’s just a friend, mum. And she won’t take away from Daphne’s chances. I guarantee she’ll direct everyone towards her instead. She’s not entirely thrilled about this.”

Violet sighed. “You will always do what you want to do. I just know that you will hear no objections about the union.”

Anthony watched on as his mother left him, shocked. Well, at least he can reassure Katherine now that she is most definitely not hated.

❀

The moment Ronan saw Katherine make her way to his booth, he smiled at her before coming out onto the walkway. He knew that she was there on business but it had been awhile since they had seen each other. They had talked periodically while she was travelling. She had even connected him with others in his position around the world so they all could better work together. She seemed to be thriving after she left London and he couldn’t be happier for her. He was just happy to have her back around.

Katherine greeted him with a smile and a hug. Ronan had grown to become one of the only other people she felt like she could fully trust within the organization. As she grew within, she pulled him a few times so he could have her back when she went to perform site visits for the Cowper’s and Trowbridge’s. 

“It’s good to see ya, Ro.” She said as she pulled back. “Wish it was under better circumstances but here we are.”

Ronan chuckled and nodded. “Same here. I hope you can set them straight. Even after I got after them, they didn’t seem to comprehend how big they fucked up and this Jamie person doesn’t really seem to be doing a whole lot to make this go away.”

“Well, good news for you is that I already called two of our guys on the force. They’ve agreed to do the checks but I’m going to make sure that Dirt Doctor pays them and gives you a little something extra too because their mistake nearly cost you your job.”

He gave her a pointed look. “I did not say that.”

“You should have because they will always come look at the managers first. Besides you should be compensated for the mess they created for you and your other accounts.”

“You really think they’re going to go for that?”

“Oh, I’ll make them.” Katherine smirked.

The moment Jamie approached the duo, Katherine could tell that the other woman was nervous. She held out her hand, even offered a small smile as she introduced herself and Jamie seemed to relax a little more. She really shouldn’t have done that.

“Do you mind telling me in your own words what you did to prevent not only your client but the other businesses that use this port to go out of business?” Katherine asked.

Ronan had to look away to keep from laughing. He knew that his friend did not come here to play but he hadn’t expected her to dive right in.

“Well, I worked with my clients on how they would work with the authorities to make sure that they wouldn’t get marked again.” Jamie explained.

Katherine nodded her head. “I see. And is this your first ever clean up job, Jamie?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Are you sure? Because it seems like it. And it’s okay if it is. We’ve all got to learn somehow.” Katherine gave Jamie one last chance for her to save herself but the other woman didn’t take it.

“I’m sure. I’ve been doing this for awhile actually and the Berbrooke’s are long time clients.”

Ronan chuckled. “Oh, you’re in for it now.”

Sighing, Katherine shook her head. “If you’ve been doing this for awhile then you should know that when cleaning up a mess that your client has made in a large forum that could potentially affect multiple groups, then you need to look out for all of those groups and not just your client or at least reach out to those group’s clean up crew. Do you know why this is, Jamie?”

“Uh, because we’re all a part of the same organization.” Jamie’s confidence was plummeting. She had heard the rumors about how Katherine took care of business but when she had been friendly in her introduction, she had hoped that the rumors had been false. She was sadly mistaken.

“Correct and if one part of the organization gets into trouble with the authorities and causes heavier restrictions then you put the whole organization in danger. What should you have done, Jamie?”

Her silence was clear that she didn’t know anything about what she was doing. Katherine sighed and then turned to Ronan. “Do you know what she should have done, besides call me?”

“Told me more than I have everything handled.”

“That’s right and you should have not taken that at face value when you don’t know the woman. You know better than this.” She gave him a pointed glare before returning her focus onto Jamie. 

“And here is what you should have done. You should have gotten a roster of who all uses this port from our lovely director of operations here. When you realize that the Berbrooke’s are not the only family that uses this port for business, you are then reaching out to each of the families and apologizing for the mess your client has made and reassuring them that you have things under control. From there you call any contact you have within law enforcement and you make sure that they are the ones who are coming down to do the inspections, paying them a little more than what they usually make on your payroll to ensure that they will pass you and all of the businesses your client is attached to. You also make that the director of operations gets a bonus for dealing with the initial interaction with law enforcement and not ratting anyone out. Do you understand?”

Jamie nodded.

“I said, do you understand.” Katherine repeated herself, keeping her voice calm and collected.

“Yes, ma’am.” Jamie replied, tears starting to gather in her eyes.

“Good. Now I have already contacted law enforcement and gotten our two guys on it. The Berbrooke’s, however, will be the ones covering all extra expenses. I’ve sent the information to your email along with contact information because you will also be calling the families to apologize as well as ensuring them that after some guidance from me, everything is taken care of. Do you understand?”

“But if they’re -”

“Ah, this is not up for discussion. You’re lucky that this is all that I’m making you do and putting you out of business. “Now, do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Thank you for joining us, Jamie. I hope you learned something. Now I believe you have some work to do.”

Jamie just glared at Katherine for a moment before turning on her heel and leaving. Not even out of ear shot, Ronan began laughing. “London is not going to know what to do now that you’re back full time. That was the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. “Keep me updated, especially if she doesn’t follow through with anything.” 

“Will do. Ready for that tour, now?”

Smiling, Katherine motioned for him to lead the way. “More than ever.”


	3. The Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This one's a little on the short end but I hope you still like it anyway! Thanks so much for all the love this story has gotten so far! It means so much. Happy reading!

The day had finally arrived. All the daughters participating in King’s matchmaking season were  thrilled, all except for Katherine. She looked good. She knew that much. Made sure of it before  walking out her door to meet her parents in the car to go to the King manor. She still didn’t care  for the pillbox hat her mother picked out but overall, everything came together nicely including  the gold heels she had found in her closet.

Her father excused himself to go into the ballroom while Katherine and her mother went to join  the others. She felt everyone’s eyes on her, or at least it felt that way until her arms were filled  with Daphne. “Kitty, you look beautiful!” She exclaimed as she pulled back from the hug.

Katherine smiled, holding the younger woman out at arm’s length. “As do you. That dress is  stunning.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “Good luck in there.”

“You too.” She gave her shoulders a squeeze before letting her go.

Once Anthony got his family into the ballroom, he gave a brief glance down the hall to see that his mother and Daphne were in place and then he noticed Katherine. He chalked up the breathless feeling to the fact that she was a woman amongst young adults who had just reached the legal age to drink or a little older. When they locked eyes, she gave him her typically dazzling smile and a wave. He waved back and hoped he was giving her a smile back or at least a smirk. With how her shoulders were shaking in laughter, he was sure it was none of the above. With his luck his face would betray him and show just how dumbfounded he felt when he saw her. He smiled this time, chuckling as he walked into the ballroom with a shake of his head. He needed to get his mother’s words out of his mind.

The introductions felt like they took forever, like Charlotte King was truly holding court.  Katherine didn’t feel terrible at being 29 when she saw that Prudence Featherington was still  going through the motions. The oldest Featherington daughter was a little younger than herself.  Although Katherine was sure her presence wasn’t as reassuring. 

When the Featherington’s entered the ballroom, Katherine noticed Penelope looking back  towards her in a bit of shock. The brunette thought that everyone knew by now that she was  participating in this year’s festivities. Even still, she gave the youngest Featherington a  reassuring smile. While she didn’t know Penelope as well as Eloise, Katherine still considered  the girl one of the ones she held under her wing, one of the ones she looked after so she would  do all she could to help ease the girl’s nerves.

By the looks of their faces, their introductions didn’t go so well and poor Prudence looked ill.  Katherine and Daphne shared a small grimace before it was her turn to be called forward.

Daphne turned and gave Katherine another hug. “This one’s for good luck.”

Katherine chuckled. “You’re going to do wonderfully.”

“You too.” Daphne said, smiling at the woman she considered an older sister.

As Daphne walked through the doors, Katherine hurried over so she could spy through the  crack in the door and hopefully hear if Charlotte said anything, despite her mother’s protests. The boss was hard to impress and if she gave her blessing during the introduction, the girl blessed would practically be able to get whomever she wanted.

She really couldn’t hear anything, but she did notice movement from Charlotte. Katherine  couldn’t wait to ask what happened. When she saw that Daphne and Violet were walking back,  she moved away from the door and smoothed out any wrinkles in her jumpsuit. She was next and she needed to show her parents that she could play along.

“Miss Katherine Gibbs, presented by her mother COO of Gibbs Communications, Elizabeth  Gibbs.”

All eyes were definitely on her now as she walked with all the grace she could muster up to  where Charlotte was sitting. When she got to the small stage, Katherine curtsied as low as she  could go, glancing up towards Charlotte.

The crime ringleader had a small smirk on her lips, which caused Katherine’s lips to tug up in a  similar fashion before she was dismissed.

❀

_ It is that time again to place your bets on who will secure a higher place in the King’s  _ _ organization or will secure a strong tie between families. Today the ladies of this underground  _ _ organization presented themselves to Charlotte King and depending on how well they performed determined whether they will secure themselves a promotion. It seems that Portia  _ _ Featherington has her hands full with all three of her daughters being presented. And with a less  _ _ than stellar performance by the eldest, it seems like these three won’t have much luck. _

_ As possibly no surprise, at least from this author, Daphne Bridgerton earned the good graces of  _ _ the boss. While she is 4th in a horrible tradition of being named by her parents in alphabetical  _ _ order, Daphne has shown great promise which will lead to the highest promotion available. _

_ The person that did have everyone surprised was the one and only Katherine Gibbs who seems  _ _ to have returned to London from her years spent abroad. While she didn’t receive a verbal  _ _ approval from Charlotte, she did receive an amused look which is more than what the other  _ _ ladies that weren’t Miss Bridgerton got. It’s clear to see based on the outfit Miss Gibbs wore that  _ _ she will be completing this honor in her own fashion. Will she be able to secure a promotion or still be stuck working in her father’s shadow? _

_ One thing is for certain, this author is looking forward to this matchmaking season and keeping  _ _ you all up to date on everything that happens. And don’t fret, this won’t get out. This blog is as  _ _ secure as my identity. _

_ ~ LW _

“What the fuck?” Katherine muttered as she sipped some wine reading through this blog post  she had been anonymously sent. She sat down at her desk and tried to pull up the blog by putting the URL straight into the web browser but each time she got an error message. Well, at least that part was true. She sighed and closed out of it on her phone. Great, another thing to worry about as she went through all of these stupid hoops.

Just as she was about to get up, a call from Simon came through. She answered it as she  walked back into the kitchen to top off her wine glass before settling into a Netflix marathon.  “Hey, everything okay?”

“Is it bad to say it’s more than okay after a parent dies?”

“Well, your dad was kind of a major dick so no. Does this mean you’re going to come join me in city life instead of living in suburbia?”

“Yes, but I still have quite a bit to get settled but you are the best in the business, so you think you can help me out?”

Katherine groaned. “I haven’t had the chance to ask dad if I can take over your account yet. I  doubt he’d even let me write the press release.”

Simon chuckled. “Right, you’re busy amusing the boss.” He teased her.

“Oh, god you read that too?”

“I’m pretty sure everyone in our circle got it. Is this LW safe?”

“I checked the blog itself and I kept getting error messages so as of right now? Yes. I just hope I  don’t have to clean up after them.” She took a sip of her wine. “Do you think my dad would let me have your account if I already sent out a press release?”

Simon laughed. “I’m pretty sure you would be taken away from all of your accounts if you went  over him. Besides I sent him an email already.”

“Well then maybe if you ask, he’ll let me.”

“Katherine, it’s fine, really. I’ll come to you for some unofficial advice until you take the whole  company over.”

“That might be awhile since he’s set on me finding a husband before I do.”

“Good thing you’re in the biggest dating pool for our world there is."

Katherine groaned at his teasing, rolling her eyes. “You and I both know that no one will stand a  chance at getting yours or Anthony’s approval, let alone mine. Then again Anthony does have  to worry about Daphne…”

“Oh yeah and it seems like he’s going to have his hands full.”

“He’ll be fine. Now when are you coming to see me? It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen  your face."

“You’ll see me at tonight’s ball.”

“What?!” Katherine asked, drawing out the vowel in a teasing tone. “I thought you wouldn’t be  able to save me from boredom.”

“Lydia wouldn’t accept my regrets. So maybe we can help each other.”

“I’ll save you from the vicious mother’s trying to put their claws into you for their daughters and  you’ll save me from utter boredom. I say we have a deal. Do you want to arrive separate or together?”

“Would you hate me if I said separate? I would rather only make a brief appearance.”

Katherine laughed. “That’s fine. I’ll keep myself occupied some other way until you get there.  Hopefully Anthony won’t be with his lady friend or too uptight about Daphne.”

“It seems you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied with then. Making sure Anthony doesn’t scare  away prospects from his sister will be quite the task.”

“I will certainly try.”

A knock sounded throughout her flat causing Katherine to sigh. “I’ll see you later, yeah? That’s  probably my mum with dresses for tonight’s festivities.”

“Pick something nice for me.”

“You’ll get what you’ll get.” Katherine laughed before hanging up and going to answer the door.


	4. The First Ball

“I’m not going to have to carry around a dance card, am I?” Katherine asked her parents as they drove to Lydia Danbury’s home for the first ball of the season. 

“No, dear, they haven’t gone that far back.” Elizabeth smiled at her daughter.

While they had tried on dresses for this event Katherine had gone on a tirade about this whole series of events. Elizabeth tried to calm her down, but her daughter was never one to keep her thoughts quiet unless absolutely necessary. Howard worried that his daughter wouldn’t be able to keep things polite while Elizabeth worried that she would look pained the entire night.

What she was sure of, however, was that she would cause a few heads to turn. Katherine had surprised her, sure that she would choose another jumpsuit but instead, she chose a navy blue ballgown to represent the family color. The bodice was lace and mesh, so it appeared as though she was only wearing the lace. Once again, the neckline plummeted into a deep vee but this time it stopped in the middle of her stomach. The skirt was nothing but tulle, but it didn’t poof out way past her body. She curled her hair and pulled it into an elegant low ponytail with braids starting from the crown of her head and then feeding into the ponytail. She wore a darker shade of red on her lips this time and went for a smokey eye instead of keeping it a little more natural-looking like she had that morning.

“Thank you, Eddie,” Katherine said with a smile as he helped her from the limo. She looked up at the house with a sigh. She really wished Simon would have agreed to the whole thing, but she understood why he was only willing to make a brief appearance.

Once she heard the limo door shut, she began walking towards the front door, where Lydia Danbury stood, greeting her guests. The older woman smiled, giving Katherine a hug before turning to her parents. “Howard, you have kept this beauty hidden for far too long.”

“That was entirely her decision. She wanted to learn everything before she took over.”

Lydia smiled towards Katherine once more. “Beauty and brains. These men won’t know what hit them. I’m glad you’ve decided to finally join us.”

“Me too.” Katherine smiled back, hoping her hostess wouldn’t catch her in her lie.

She adored the older woman and she was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. She hoped so since she and Simon traveled the world together. If she got bored maybe she would be able to go speak with her too. It had been a while since they had chatted. She had options and that made her feel a little better as she walked into the ballroom.

There were already so many people there and while Katherine knew that the circle ran wide, she didn’t realize just how wide it reached. She scanned the room for any familiar face when she landed on Benedict Bridgerton. He was surrounded by a couple of ladies and she could tell that he was charming them but as soon as he saw her, he grinned and excused himself.

On his way over he plucked another champagne flute from the table and met Katherine halfway. “Kitty, can I just say that you look exquisite.” He told her as he handed her the champagne.

Katherine grinned as she took the glass. “Thanks, Benny. I’m assuming the rest of the family’s here.”

Benedict nodded as he took a sip of his drink.

“On a scale from one to ten how obnoxious is Anthony already?”

Benedict chuckled. “I’d say he was about a six when I left them. Daphne said that you two have come up with some sort of scheme though.”

Katherine nodded a bit of a proud smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Yes, we do. She’s to give me a signal and then I’m to whisk Anthony away so that she may enjoy her evening.”

He motioned to where Daphne, Anthony, and Violet were standing on the other side of the room. “Is that the signal?”

Looking over to where Benedict pointed, she noticed Daphne looking right at her and holding three fingers on her hip. Katherine grimaced, sending a silent apology for just now noticing her. “Yup that’s it.” She smiled up at Benedict. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.” He chuckled.

She greeted Violet first with a hug and then squeezed Daphne’s shoulder as she slid past so she could stand right behind Anthony. “Stop staring like that your face will get stuck and you’ll scare away a perfectly fine match.”

Anthony only turned his head slightly so he could keep staring down his sister’s potential suitor and talk with Katherine. “You do know who this is, don’t you?”

“Yes, Anthony. It’s Marcus Prescott and if it’ll make you stop scaring away Daphne’s suitors, I will vet every single one of them. Now come walk around the room with me so that he can ask her to dance.”

“And what about your suitors? Who will vet them for you?”

Katherine rolled her eyes and looped her arm around his. “I will.” She said as she nudged him forward to get him moving. As she practically dragged him away, she sent a wink over her shoulder back towards Daphne.

“You two planned this didn’t you?” He asked, looking towards her with an exasperated expression.

“We sure did so maybe cool it and I won’t have to force you to hang out with me.”

“And you’re sure you’ll vet every caller my sister gets.”

Laughing, she bumped her shoulder against his. “Yes, and I can tell you right now that Marcus is a good one. So, let your sister enjoy her night.”

“Fine,” he sighed, “but aren’t I just scaring your potential suitors away?”

“No, you’re making them jealous,” Katherine smirked. While she was merely a soldier at the moment, Anthony had taken on the role of one of Charlotte King’s best captains. It made her seem more desirable not only to the other captains but to the smaller families. It also helped that she was the daughter of the chief advisor, but right now that was just more of an added bonus.

Lydia Danbury used to hold the title but when she retired from her CEO position, she also took a backseat in the organization, moving down to a captain. Since King had been so impressed with Howard Gibbs and what he had done for her other captains, she had moved him up to chief advisor. The fact that his company was focused in communications was just a bonus.

“How am I…” He trailed off as he took in the various looks, they were getting and returned his focus to Katherine, finally taking her in. “Let me look at you.” He said as he held her out, even making her twirl which caused her to laugh and him to smile. “Kitty, you look…”

“I know.” Katherine grinned as she returned to his side.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

She waved off his apology. “It’s fine. I’m not going to cry myself to sleep over it. You were a little preoccupied.”

“As I asked before, who’s vetting your suitors?”

“I am. My dad just has final say or whatever it is your role is in all of this for Daphne.”

Anthony nodded. “I am, got it.”

Katherine stopped them, tugging on Anthony’s arm so they could fully face each other. “What are you talking about?”

“Simon can help too, of course, but someone’s got to look out for you that knows everything. There’s got to be at least ten other Luca’s out there on that dance floor.” He lowered his voice as he continued to talk.

Rolling her eyes, she placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, Anthony, honestly.”

“Katherine, I’m serious. I don’t want to see you get hurt like that again.”

“Good thing I won’t be as reckless. Once these boys find out who I really am, they’ll leave me be and I’ll be just fine.”

“And what about your father’s demands?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“I hope figuring it out includes a dance with me?” A voice interrupted them from behind Katherine, who spun around to see who it was.

Her face lit up in a smile. “Weatherby! It most certainly does.” She took his proffered arm and followed him out onto the dancefloor to be swept up into a waltz.

“Is Henry here tonight?”

“No, it was bachelor only tonight.”

“Then why on earth are you here?”

“You know why.” He gave her a pointed look. Weatherby, along with Henry and who the world perceived as only Henry’s wife was in a polyamorous relationship. While their world was more open towards homosexual relationships, there were some things that were still harshly judged so to keep their status, no matter how low in the organization, they played it safe.

“Henry said that you were also being forced to be here and that you could potentially help me keep up appearances, but I never imagined I would be helping you.”

Katherine laughed. “You know I’d help you three in any way I can but don’t worry about that with Anthony. We both just get a little passionate is all.”

Simon always had good timing. Just as the music quieted down, he stepped into the room which allowed for all the women’s gasps to be heard. Katherine and Weatherby turned to see what caused the commotion but when Katherine noticed who had entered the room, she smirked in his direction. Then the masses swarmed him, and she had to hold back her laughter.

“Weatherby, if you’ll excuse me. It looks like I need to go save a friend of mine from the swarm.”

Smiling, he brought Katherine’s hand up and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I wish you all the luck. Thank you for the dance.”

As Katherine made her way over to help Simon escape, she noticed that Nigel Berbrooke was following Daphne and she did not seem happy. Simon could take care of himself, so Katherine turned to walk towards Daphne, smiling as she passed the younger woman.

Nigel’s eyes widened when he noticed Katherine walking towards him. He heard how Katherine had cleaned up his mess down at the docks. His contact had been in hysterics when she reported back to what the meeting was all about. Katherine had ripped his contact a new one, taught her how to do her job, fixed things up at the docks, and made the Berbrooke’s shoulder all the extra fees, all without raising her voice.

Before Katherine could even reach him, he turned around, running away. Smirking, she turned around to find where Daphne had gotten to but as she was scanning the room, she caught Anthony’s eye. He silently questioned her about the exchange and all she did was give a small shrug.

They both seemed to notice Daphne and Simon speaking to each other at the same time. Anthony’s face lit up in recognition of his best friend. Katherine smiled, glad to see he got away from the rabid mothers and their daughters.

“Thank you,” Daphne told her, placing a hand on Katherine’s arm as the two men caught up.

“Of course. In my opinion, he shouldn’t even be here.” She whispered causing Daphne to laugh.

“You even know Kitty and yet you required my name?” Simon asked, looking at Daphne.

“Daphne,” Anthony said, “this is Simon Basset, the new CEO of Hastings Banking or you might know him better as Katherine’s traveling companion.” Then he looked to Katherine in realization. “Does this mean you’ll also be taking on the Hastings account?”

“We’re trying to get that settled actually,” Katherine said.

“It’s apparently not possible until you take over the company,” Simon informed.

Rolling her eyes, Katherine shook her head. “Well, we’re not here to discuss business. C’mon, Daph, let’s take a walk around.”

“Actually,” Anthony walked around to his sister’s other side, “Daphne, I believe it’s time to go.”

Both Simon and Katherine looked at their friend like he had a second head. “You can’t be serious,” Katherine stated.

“Kitty, you know as well as I do that if we leave now, they’ll be left with wanting more. Maybe you should think of doing the same.”

Simon chuckled. “C’mon, Kitty. We’ll make a lap around the room. Talk with Lydia and then we’ll leave.”

Katherine looped her arm around Simon’s. “You guys should stay a little while longer.” She gave a pointed look towards Anthony before following beside Simon.

“You know he’s still going to leave, right?” Simon asked.

“Oh, I’m well aware.” Katherine laughed.

As they passed the drink table, Simon picked up a couple of glasses of champagne and handed one over to Katherine. If he was going to stay any longer, he’d need a little something and Lydia warned him against bringing his flask. They both clinked their glasses together and took a sip, smirking as they noticed the stares they were getting.

Her parents had warned her that she was about to learn how closely she was watched. She knew that her friendship with the two highest captains in the organization would be noted and due to them, she would be expected to do extremely well. Which she thought she was already doing. She’d just need to drum up business for the Featherington Casino and she’d show them all just what she was capable of.

“Have you been enjoying yourself?” Simon asked her, a teasing smirk on his face.

“Between pulling Anthony away so Daphne could have a dance and your arrival on the scene, I’ve had exactly one dance with Weatherby.”

“So, you’ve had the evening you’ve hoped for.”

Katherine grinned. “Exactly.”

“Now one would think that you two would be tired of each other’s company by now or secretly together,” Lydia said, coming up to the couple from beside Simon.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Lydia,” Simon said, shaking his head.

“One could also say that we’re only used to each other’s company and we’re giving each other support. Surely you saw the crowd that gathered the moment he stepped into the ballroom.” Katherine smirked.

Lydia chuckled. “I suppose you’re right, Miss Gibbs.” She then looked to Simon. “Don’t scare too many people off. They’re not all as brave as Mr. Weatherby.” Lydia gave a knowing glance towards Katherine before she continued her rounds.

“Now what was that all about?” Simon asked, amused as they started walking again.

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Anthony and I took a turn about the room as they said in ages past and we got into a bit of a passionate discussion regarding who was looking out for me in all of this and well, Mr. Weatherby came up near the end and asked me for a dance.”

Simon looked down at his feet and snickered. “Glad to hear nothing has changed between you two.”

“Oh, shove it.” She nudged him, laughing the entire time.


	5. The Ruse

_Dear Reader, this author seems compelled to share the most curious of news. It seems to_ _appear that King’s proclamation may be proven wrong. A new addition to the Featherington_ _household seems to have taken the underground by storm. Not everyone knows her name yet,_ _but soon will for Miss Marina Thompson is even more of a well-hidden beauty than Miss_ _Katherine Gibbs._

_Then again it seems as though the Gibbs House appears just as empty as the Bridgerton_ _Home. Perhaps Katherine may want to reconsider her strategy in helping Miss Bridgerton from_ _her brother so that she may find someone for herself. Then again, she is quite close with Mr._ _Simon Basset who has finally decided to make his appearance after returning from his and Miss_ _Gibbs’ travels._

_With the arrival of Miss Thompson, this author does believe that Portia Featherington is to_ _receive what she has always desired: the season’s true Incomparable living under her roof. She_ _must be overjoyed._

_~ LW_

Katherine rolled her eyes after reading the latest gossip sent out by this LW but the frantic ‘HELP ME’ text she received from Daphne had her chuckling. This LW wasn’t wrong. She hadn’t received many callers but that was alright by her. She had several but none of them intrigued her enough to let them stick around for too long. So instead of heading to her parents, she made her way to the Bridgertons.

She nodded in greeting to one of the last callers Daphne had received. Seeing how frightened he looked; she couldn’t possibly imagine what Anthony had done. Their butler tried to stop her from entering but she pushed through anyway.

“Miss Gibbs for the family.” They announced hurrying behind her which caused everyone to look towards her in shock, except for Daphne, who looked relieved.

“Kitty, what are you doing here?” Anthony spoke first.

She fixed him with an exasperated look. “You know I could ask you the same thing.”

He then turned to Daphne who looked the picture of innocence and merely shrugged. He focused back on Katherine, raising his eyebrow. “Don’t you have your own callers?”

“None of them have been worth my time. Do you think you and I could talk?”

Sighing, Anthony nodded and walked towards her, leading her out of the room with a hand at the small of her back. The moment he closed the door to the home office, Katherine spun around, arms crossed over her chest and eyes a thinly contained storm. “Do you not trust me?”

“What?” That was certainly not what he thought she was going to say.

“Do you not trust me?” She asked again. “Because if not then we have a lot more to discuss than how I can’t keep my promise if there aren’t any suitors for me to vet for you. So, what’s going on?”

Anthony rolled his eyes, sighing. “I wasn’t aware that you and my sister are in cahoots together.”

Katherine snorted. “We have been since this whole bloody thing started. Why are you driving every person away? I’m sure there are some very fine gentlemen that have passed through your door who will not only take good care of her but also make her very happy.”

“I’m trying to protect her.” He said, leaning against his desk, looking towards Katherine, arms loosely crossed in front of his chest.

“Try again.” She gave him a pointed look, not buying that excuse.

“Honest. I don’t want her to be more involved with the darker sides of our business than she has to be.”

Katherine sighed. “Have you ever thought to maybe let her decide that?”

“Barely two weeks back and you’re already telling me what to do.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

“It wouldn’t be us without it.” She smirked.

He hid the soft, small smile that tugged on his lips by looking down at his feet. When the moment passed he looked up at her with a matching smirk as he pushed himself off his desk, making his way towards her. “I’ll think about it.”

“No, do. Lighten up, Anthony. Your sister is more capable than you realize.” She said as she straightened up his tie.

“I will think about it.” He grinned at her before turning her around and nudging her towards the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some business to go discuss.”

Katherine reluctantly went out into the hall, walking back to the drawing room to inform Daphne of her little progress. She stopped right in her tracks the moment she saw Nigel Berbrooke sitting next to Daphne. Looking over to Violet, she motioned towards her eldest daughter with a questioning look on her face.

Violet shook her head, hoping Katherine wouldn’t say anything. She knew it wasn’t the best look but he was the first caller without Anthony around and it allowed them to breathe a little easier. Nigel wasn’t the best option of course but she hoped that maybe the others would return if they learned that Anthony wasn’t always around.

Katherine looked back over at Daphne who gave her a pleading look. Nigel had noticed the look and slowly turned around. Stiffening when he saw Katherine, he turned back around to focus on Daphne once more. “I wasn’t aware that you had a guest.”

“She was here to see my brother and always tells us goodbye before leaving,” Daphne answered.

“You’re leaving?” Hyacinth whined, hurrying over to wrap her arms around the woman. “You’re not even going to stay for tea?”

Katherine smiled and hugged the young girl back. “I came here on a mission so there’s not much time for tea.” She looked up to Daphne. “I’m still working on that mission though,” she looked back down to Hyacinth, “so I may be over again and can stay longer. I’ll talk to your mum and see when a good time to come for tea would be.”

“I don’t think I realized just how close you were with this family, Kitty,” Nigel said.

“Katherine,” she corrected, glaring at him. Only those closest to her could call her by that nickname. “And I’m surprised you didn’t. Then again based on the work I’ve seen from you, it shouldn’t.”

Daphne and Eloise turned their faces so they could laugh quietly to themselves while Nigel looked on in a bit of horror and Violet gave her a motherly look that warned her of stepping out of line. Katherine simply smiled, giving Hyacinth one last hug. “Well, I must be off. Call or text if you ladies need anything.”

Nigel slowly turned back to face Daphne with Katherine now gone. “She certainly is quite the character.”

“She’s become a dear friend and I hope one day, she’ll even become my dear sister.” After complaining about Anthony ruining everything she wondered if Katherine would truly make him change his mind on things. The way they acted around each other, she always thought them to be in love but she had gone off to travel and Anthony had his mistresses. She couldn’t have much more of a conversation after that for Nigel had shown up.

“Oh, well, until next time then.” Nigel gave her his best smile and hurried out of the room.

Once the door closed Eloise began to laugh. “Mama, can I be like Katherine when I grow up?”

Violet chuckled, shaking her head. “I suppose she is someone to aspire to.”

❀

“Did I come at a bad time?” Simon asked the moment Katherine opened the door to her flat in only her underwear. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, still wet from her shower. Her toothbrush stuck out of her mouth.

“It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.” She said around her toothbrush as she walked back into her bathroom.

While traveling she and Simon had entered an arrangement and despite what all of media has ever said, they never caught feelings more than friendship after adding benefits to it. He watched as she walked away, wondering if she wouldn’t mind going a round or two to get these feelings out of him.

The moment Lydia told him that he had received an invitation for dinner at the Bridgertons, he knew she had come up with some sort of scheme. He wouldn’t be able to live out the rest of his days as he wanted with her continuing to butt her way in. Making himself at home, he poured them both a drink, waiting at the kitchen counter for Katherine to return from her nightly routine. “I had dinner at the Bridgertons. I wished you would have been invited as well.” He called out.

“Why do you sound like it was the worst evening of your life?” She asked as she pulled on her sleep shorts.

“Because I was there for some matchmaking scheme set up by Lydia and Violet.”

“Daphne’s not so bad.” She replied, walking out into the kitchen as she buttoned up her sleep shirt. “I rather like the girl actually.”

“Kitty, you’re missing the point. They’re trying to set me up so that we then become married.”

“And what exactly do you want me to do about it?” She asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“Anything to stop it. Please tell me you’re going to be there at this next event.”

“Well, yeah. I have to make an appearance at all of them.” Katherine rolled her eyes, hopping up on the counter. “Are you really so against this?”

Simon sighed, giving Katherine an exasperated look. “I thought you understood why I want to go about things this way.”

“I do but it doesn’t mean that I want to see you be lonely the rest of your life.”

“I’ve got you.” He smirked.

Katherine easily returned his smirk with one of her own. “Nice try but I’ve got to get married remember or I won’t be able to do anything.”

“I will make an investment into your own company so that way you don’t have to do this anymore and you can help me get out of it.”

“I can’t pull away from my father’s company.” Katherine laughed, shaking her head. “Have you thought that maybe Violet isn’t even wanting you to be a match but just to help get Daphne back onto the scene that Anthony took her away from?”

He gave her a look over his glass as he took a sip of his drink.

“Talk to Daphne at this next event. Maybe get her to agree to something like that and it’ll help the both of you out.”

“I don’t think she likes me too much.”

“Well, not every girl is me and can put up with your nonsense. I’ll see what I can do on my end because she adores me.”

Simon chuckled. “There’s not a lot of people who don’t. Now, what about your situation?”

Katherine shrugged. “I’ll figure it out. None of my callers have really been worth my time. If it comes down to it, I’ll try to persuade mum onto my side because she can then hopefully persuade dad.”

Leaning against the counter, Simon pointed his glass towards her. “You know, you could always talk to your other best friend into helping you.”

She scoffed, hopping down from the counter so she could refill her drink. “Anthony? He’d much rather be spending his time with Sienna than take on anything more than he absolutely has to at this moment.”

“Is that jealousy I hear?”

She turned around with a glare. “I will kick you out.”

He slid up behind her, adding his glass next to hers as he wrapped his other arm around her, and resting his chin on her shoulder. “You love me too much to do that.”

“And you’re lucky I do.” She turned her head slightly to look down at him as best she could. “Now should I get out the tube of cookie dough so we can watch trashy reality tv?”

He grinned, pulling back just enough so he could kiss her cheek. “The answer is always yes.”

❀

Katherine stared down her office phone while tapping her fingers against her desk. She hadn’t been able to get in contact with Archie Featherington at all. At this point, she was pretty sure he was screening her calls. Well, if he wasn’t going to answer then she’d go to someone else.

Just as she was about to pick up the phone to call Portia, Katherine’s phone began to ring and as fate would have it, Portia’s name popped up on the caller id. She stared at the phone for a few seconds, not believing her luck and yet starting to question if she had psychic powers before realizing she still needed to answer the phone.

“Hello, Mrs. Featherington. I was actually just about to call you. What can I help you with?”

“Your father just informed me that you’re over our account now. Why have you not reached out yet?” Portia asked. She just found out that the girl her family just took in is pregnant and now their usual contact had switched.

“I’ve been trying to, but it seems your husband hasn’t wanted to talk to me. I’m more than happy to set up a meeting with you both to discuss things.”

“How does right now sound?”

Katherine clicked over to her calendar to make sure she didn’t have anything. She luckily didn’t until much later in the day because this sounded urgent. “It sounds perfect. Are you coming to the office or do I need to make a house call?”

“It would be better if you came here. And can you do it discreetly?”

“Lunch sounds lovely. I’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you, Katherine.”

When the call ended, Katherine stared at the phone, wondering what she was about to walk into.

❀

Portia had practically shoved Katherine towards the guest room where Marina was staying. She didn’t want her daughters or anyone else to know that she had called Katherine. The first thing she noticed was the numerous pregnancy tests on the bed. The next, Marina’s frightened face. Katherine knew that feeling all too well.

“Hello, Marina. I’m Katherine Gibbs. It’s nice to meet you.”

Marina scoffed, looking out the window, ignoring Katherine completely. “I know who you are. You’re here to make sure my mess doesn’t interfere with business.”

“Marina, you will not treat our guest with such disrespect.” Portia scolded.

Katherine sighed. “Mrs. Featherington, may I speak with Miss Thompson alone?”

“Why on earth would you want to do that?” She asked, scandalized.

“Because I’m not going to get the answers I need to do my job, with you standing here. So, if you would be so kind.” Katherine motioned towards the door.

“Your father will hear about this.” She threatened as she started to leave.

“I don’t think he will since you’re wanting to keep things discreet.” Katherine just smiled as Portia slammed the door.

“You think that’s going to get me to talk to you?” Marina asked.

“It seemed to work.” Katherine pointed out with a smirk as she sat down on the desk chair. “But no, that’s not why I did that. For the conversation we’re about to have, I didn’t need any interruptions.”

“I’m keeping the baby.” Marina wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach.

Smiling, Katherine nodded. “Congratulations. Does the father know?”

Marina shook her head. “He’s deployed. I haven’t written to him yet.”

“You write letters with each other? That’s quite romantic. So, if you have a beau, why are you here?”

“My father’s forcing me to participate in this whole thing.”

“How long have you known?”

Marina sighed. “This is technically my second time doing this.”

“Second month then?”

Marina nodded.

“Well, the first thing we need to do is get you in to see a doctor.” Katherine pulled out her phone and started scrolling to find her OBGYN’s number.

“I told you…”

“Marina, the quicker you learn that I am on your side, the easier it’s going to be for all of us. I’m contacting my doctor because she’s the best and is great at keeping things under wraps.” Katherine interrupted the girl before pressing call on her phone screen.

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” Marina asked.

“Sure have,” Katherine said as she waited to be connected with a receptionist.

“How’d she turn out?”

A small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of Katherine’s lips. “She turned out alright.”

When the call was connected, Katherine scheduled an appointment for later in the week, under her name. They would get all of Marina’s information once they arrived. Katherine would be taking care of everything, rides to the clinic, covering the cost, and anything else that the young girl may need.

“Now that’s settled,” Katherine started after she hung up the phone, “you have a couple more choices to make. You can either continue to participate in these matchmaking events or you can stay here. I have a feeling I know what Mrs. Featherington would prefer but I wanted to check in with you before I go toe to toe with the woman.”

“I don’t want to really be here. So, whatever you have to do to make that happen.”

“The only other option I have right now is you coming to stay with me, but I actually think your better option is to stay here. There're more people here to help you.”

Marina sighed. “Fine, then I’ll stay here.”

Katherine stood, taking out her business card and handing it over to the young woman. “Just because I’m not the better choice of housing, doesn’t mean I’m not here for you. That has my cell number on there. Call or text me whenever you need.”

Marina took the card, looking it over briefly before surging forward and wrapping Katherine up in a hug.

Katherine held her close for a long moment. “I know this is a really scary time but I’m going to do my best to not make it so scary.”

The younger woman nodded before pulling away. “Thank you.”

Katherine smiled and made her way out of the room to find Portia, who was waiting in the study, downstairs. The brunette laid out everything from the doctor’s appointment to Marina’s decision to sit the rest of the events out. Katherine made sure to reiterate that just because Marina was pregnant and was no longer participating in the parties, meant that she should be isolated. She needed support more now than ever. “Now,” Katherine started so she could change the topic once it seemed like Portia understood everything, “why has your husband started screening my calls?”

Portia shrugged, shaking her head. “You’d have to ask him.”

“Well, I would if he wasn’t dodging me. I really don’t want to go make a special visit to the casino, but I will. Things have slowly started to decline over time, Mrs. Featherington, and I can help with that, but I can’t do anything unless we discuss them. And that’s on both sides of the business. So please tell your husband to call me or I’ll make sure that my schedule is clear Friday so that I can talk with you after Marina’s appointment.”

“Cowper said that you were intense.”

Katherine laughed. “Mrs. Cowper also tell you that I always get the job done?”

Portia nodded. “I’ll be sure to tell my husband to call you.”

“Thank you.” Katherine smiled as she left the study, going back to her office to finish up the day before the Vauxhall ball later in the evening.

❀

Twinkling fairy lights illuminated the trees while larger lanterns lit the dance floor and most of the space creating a magical feel to the evening. Katherine chose a long, wrap dress in a deep shade of purple. Sheer long sleeves created a small bubble around her arms before coming synched at her wrists. The skirt had a large slit stopping mid-thigh so that there could be plenty of movement which was needed for the faster-paced jigs being danced to so far.

She just stepped off the dance floor when Daphne came barreling towards her. They only stumbled a few steps as Katherine caught the younger woman, bringing her in for a tight embrace. “What is it, Daphne?”

“You must speak with Anthony,” she said looking up at her. “You must speak some sense into him.”

“What has he done?”

“He’s assured Nigel Berbrooke that I will marry him.”

Katherine let out a huff as she looked up to the lights hanging above them. “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She looked back down at Daphne and smiled reassuringly. “I’m going to go find him. You try to enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Daphne hugged her once more before thanking her and going off to figure out how she could possibly enjoy the rest of her evening. Maybe a break from the festivities would do her some good.

After Daphne had gone, Katherine looked around the yard looking for her best friend who had clearly lost his mind. The moment she laid eyes on him, she marched over, causing the people in her path to move out of her way as quickly as they could. “Have you actually lost your mind?” She asked him as soon as she was close enough.

Anthony let out a sigh as he turned to face her. “Can we not do this right now, Kitty?”

“And when would be a good time for you?”

“Whenever not now is.”

She crossed her arms and took him in. Something was going on. There was something else to this. She would get her chance to scold him later but right now he needed her in a more supportive role. She lowered her arms back to her side and gave him a small smile. “I saw a bench under that tree by the water, wanna go talk about whatever’s bothering you?”

As Katherine melted, so did Anthony. He slowly nodded and offered out his arm, which she took with ease. Once they were seated, they sat watching the water in silence for a while. When she realized that he wasn’t going to talk first, she bumped his leg with her knee before moving so she was facing him a little more. “I know we haven’t had the chance to really catch up since I came back at one of the busiest times of the year but you can still talk to me. So, what’s going on with you?”

He watched his hands in his lap for a few moments before looking over at her. “I ended things with Sienna.”

She reached over and placed her hand on his wrist, giving a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

“I know it was the right thing. She couldn’t ever be brought into this and it’s finally time for me to walk the walk instead of talking about duty and responsibility when I carry on like I have no sense of the words. I must be the man of the house, take control of the business as my father would have.”

“You’re not your father, Anthony. I happen to think you’ve been doing a great job at running things, well, besides this Nigel Berbrooke business. I mean honestly, what were you thinking after he nearly got you caught by the authorities as well because of his idiotic mistake?”

“He checks out, Kitty. He’s a good man, decent enough for this business and he’s not in deep enough that Daphne will be kept out of things.”

Katherine shook her head. “You’re still not letting her choose. Anthony, he may check all these boxes but I’m afraid in trying to keep her out of danger you’re putting her into even more of it.”

Anthony turned to face her. “Just because you don’t like my choice, doesn’t mean that you can exploit my sense of protection towards her. I know all your tactics and they won’t work on me.”

“I’m not using any tactics. I’m telling you exactly how I feel. If he continues to make the mistakes he made to almost get tighter restrictions on the dock he shares not only with you but with a few other companies, he’s going to become a target and that circle usually casts a large shadow.”

He let out a sigh and placed his head into his hands. “I hate when you’re right.” He then groaned, leaning back so his head rested against the tree. “But I gave him my word. I can’t go back on it or that’ll ruin my business reputation.”

Smirking, she tapped his cheek until he turned his head to look at her. “Then leave that bit to me and I’ll figure out something.”

“You’re too good to me.”

She shook her head. “That’s most definitely you.” She then smiled. “Wanna come round to mine after this so we can get shitfaced and plan our world domination?”

He grinned, nodding his head. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end the night.”

❀

The moment Katherine got home, she turned on some music and blasted it through her speaker system around the house. It wasn’t anything booming, at least not yet. It would probably lead to that once Anthony got there but for now, it was warm and mellow as she moved around her flat. She made sure the bar was stocked and there was food to snack on before going to change into something more comfortable.

By the time she finished, the doorbell rang before Anthony let himself in. While Katherine was traveling, she gave him a key to keep watch over her flat. The fact that he rang her doorbell first before letting himself in made her laugh until she saw that he was still wearing his suit.

“Why are you still dressed like that?”

“I came straight here after I dropped my mother and sister off. Which by the way, Daphne and Simon danced tonight.”

“And that’s a bad thing, because?” They must have done so after she left. Katherine hadn’t stayed too much longer after she and Anthony had talked. Vauxhall was lovely but after the day she had, she was ready to just get home and do what she wanted for the rest of the night.

He gave her a pointed look as he undid his tie. “You are aware of Simon’s intention of never marrying, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I am. One dance doesn’t mean anything.”

“You didn’t see how they looked at each other.” He said with a huff, taking off his blazer and draping it over the barstool.

“You’re reading too much into it.”

“You’re impossible.” He rolled his eyes as he untucked his shirt before undoing the top few buttons of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. “Better?”

“Much.” She smiled, popping a piece of candy into her mouth. “Did I tell you about this brandy I found in France?” She then asked as she grabbed the bottle and two glasses from her bar cart.

After she had poured them both drinks, she handed the bottle over to him. He took the bottle and looked over the label. It was a brand he hadn’t seen before, but he knew exactly what a cognac was. “I don’t think so. What’s so special about it?”

“Take a sip.” She motioned towards his glass with her own.

Lifting the glass to his lips, he took a hardy sip. Impressed he drank the rest and poured himself another glass. “That is the smoothest cognac I believe I’ve ever tasted.”

Katherine laughed, finishing off her own drink so she could keep up with him. “I honestly think it turned me into a brandy drinker.”

Anthony chuckled. “You were able to hold it well before.”

“Still, it wasn’t my favorite.” She gave a shrug.

“So how do I get a bottle for myself and a new bottle for you because we’ll definitely be finishing this one.”

“You sound so sure of yourself.” She teased him.

“You’re the one that wanted to get shitfaced. I’m just following through.” He chuckled.

“I’ll see if they’re able to ship us a couple of bottles. It’s more of a local brand.”

Anthony nodded, taking a more thoughtful sip. “Did you have fun on your many adventures? You didn’t keep in touch enough for me to live vicariously through you. I had to see most of everything on social media or on page six.”

“I did and I’m sorry that I didn’t call you more. I wish you would have been able to come with us.”

“Just another thing this newfound responsibility has taken from me.” He finished his drink and poured himself another, topping off Katherine’s while he was at it. “You two aren’t in some sort of fling, are you?”

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”

He gasped, leaning back as he looked at her. “You are!”

She gave him an exasperated look. “We were. We had an arrangement. It’s totally fine. We are still only friends. You know I was supposed to do this on my own but you two probably concocted a scheme to get him to tag along.”

He looked down at his drink, trying to not look like he had just been caught. “We didn’t want you to be alone after everything.”

“That’s exactly why I wanted to go alone in the first place. I needed a break from all the reminders. I wanted to just live in the moment and not worry about anything.”

“Am I too big of a reminder? Is that why you didn’t call more?”

“Anthony, no.” She reached over and took his hands in hers. “You’re not a reminder at all. I was too focused on being present and moving on that I became a horrible friend.”

Squeezing her hands, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “You’re not a horrible friend. I could have called more too.” He then sighed, resting his forehead on their joint hands. “I think you and Sienna would have been good friends. I wish you would have met.”

“I’m sure we could have been if she didn’t already hate me.” Katherine joked. “If you remember correctly all of your lovers typically despise me.”

He rocked his head from side to side. “Sienna was different.”

“You did the right thing, Tony. It may suck right now but it was the right thing to make sure that everyone involved remains safe.”

When he looked up at her, she gave him a smile which he slowly returned. “I have told you that I’m really glad you’re back, right?”

Her smile grew into a smirk. “Once or twice.” She squeezed his hands one last time before pulling back. Knocking back her drink, she poured herself another round and topped him off.

“How about we really get this party started, hm?”

She scrolled through her playlists until she found the perfect one. The moment the song started playing, Anthony started laughing. It could be considered their song. They would always kick off their dance sessions with it. During everything they went through, they would dance their frustrations out and then get to work. But they always, always started with this song.

Katherine shimmied over to him and tugged on his hand until he got out of his seat. Soon they were dancing around her flat, singing the song at the top of their lungs. They skipped and twirled around each other, Katherine’s messy ponytail swishing from side to side.

They continued for as long as they possibly could, finally collapsing onto the couch when they couldn’t stand any longer. Laughter filled the space as they flopped into each other, becoming nothing but tangled limbs.

“This was much needed, thank you.” Anthony slurred.

“Anytime.” Katherine grinned, falling further down the couch as they both started to fall asleep.

❀

Everything hurt and there was a loud, obnoxious ringing happening. Katherine slowly sat up, eyes squinted at the bright sunlight streaming in from her windows when it clicked that the ringing was her phone. She looked around for it and when she couldn't see it in her immediate vicinity, she extracted herself from the couch, careful not to wake Anthony. Then again the fact that he was able to sleep through her phone ringing made her extremely jealous. She finally found her phone in the kitchen and without really looking at the caller ID, she answered it.

"Well, finally you answered it. I was this close to sending out a search party." Simon said, making Katherine wince at the volume even if he used his normal speaking voice.

"Shhhhh, Anthony's still asleep." She grumbled.

That only caused Simon to laugh, making Katherine’s hangover headache thump against her eyes a little more. "What did you two get up to last night?"

"Usual alcohol and dance party to start moving on from things. How was your night? I heard you danced with Miss Daphne Bridgerton."

"And I wasn't even invited. Shame."

"I'd point out that you just brushed right over my dance comment but all I want is to go back to bed so can you hurry up and get to the point of this phone call?"

Simon chuckled. "Daphne agreed to that ruse you thought was already happening. And you also might want to check on her. She trusts you."

"Well, see everything worked out so you can stop worrying and I'll call her after I've had coffee. I'm gonna go back to bed now."

"Sweet dreams, Kitty."

"Bye." She hung up and trudged back over to the couch where she draped a blanket over Anthony before heading to her bedroom. Plugging in her phone, she climbed into bed and promptly fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The song I had in mind that Anthony and Kitty danced to is Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Whatever song you thought of during that scene works too. I just thought I'd share especially since it's also where I got the title from. Thanks so much for all the love I've received for this story! I really appreciate it.


	6. The Plan

_It seems dear reader that among the scandal and risqué moments of the Vauxhall’s_ _extravaganza, a phoenix rose from the ashes. Daphne Bridgerton danced most of the evening_ _with the most eligible bachelor of the season, Simon Basset of Hastings Banking. With Marina_ _Thompson’s mysterious disappearance from the scene, Daphne will return to the top position._ _Perhaps she might even thank Katherine Gibbs for entertaining her brother so that she may actually enjoy her time at the top. Will this season see two rakes wed?_

_~ LW_

Katherine rolled her eyes at the latest LW post. She tossed her phone to the side and looked up at her ceiling. After reading it, she supposed that was why Simon had called her earlier that morning. With it being closer to the afternoon hours, she supposed she should go try to wake Anthony up so they could get something ridiculously greasy inside of them so they could get back to functioning again.

That’s when the smell finally hit her, and the sound of movement floated into her bedroom. She scrambled out of bed when it clicked that the smell was of something burning. It could only mean one thing, Anthony was awake and was trying to make them a meal.

Just as she got into the kitchen, he was pulling burnt pieces of bread from the toaster with a grimace on his face. On the stove was a pan, a spatula waiting in it while the carton of eggs was sitting on the counter. Luckily the burner wasn’t on. Katherine couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled forth at seeing her best friend looking frazzled in her kitchen. “You know, if you actually knew how to cook, a girl would feel very lucky to see this vision in her kitchen.” She teased him.

He huffed, looking over at her. “I was trying to do something nice to repay you for last night and now all I have to show for it is overcooked toast.”

Smiling, she patted his shoulder. “You should have just ordered something to be delivered.”

Chuckling, he looked down at his feet and nodded. “I can do that. Would you mind making coffee?”

“Sure thing.”

Pulling two mugs down from the cabinets, Katherine set about making them both a cup of coffee and cleaning the kitchen from Anthony’s attempted breakfast. When he rejoined her, she handed over his cup and brought hers close to his chest.

“I ordered from that crepe place that’s nearby. Hope that’s okay.”

She nodded as she took a cautious sip. “I haven’t had a good crepe in a while.”

He checked the time to let her know about how long it would be when he realized something. “Wait, do you not have a coffee date to attend this morning?”

She snorted while shaking her head. “One of them asked me out on one and I told him that I had better things to do like my job.”

“Harsh.” Anthony laughed.

Katherine just shrugged as she sipped on her coffee. “It’s true. I am not about to be shown around like some trophy when my time could be better well spent. Needless to say, my father wasn’t too happy about that one and I don’t really have too many callers.”

“Kitty, don’t you need someone so you can take things over?”

“Are you happy with my work for your family’s company?”

“Well, yeah, of course.”

“Then I’ll be fine.” Katherine smiled.

❀

After they had finished eating brunch, Anthony left soon after, promising to see her at the ball later that evening. Katherine flopped down on the couch, preparing to start checking her emails and work from home when she remembered what Simon had said about checking in with Daphne. So as she waited for her laptop to load, she sent a quick text to the young woman.

_What’s up buttercup? How are things on the Nigel front?_

_They’re not terrible but they’re not good either. I may need your other services soon._

_Did something happen after I left?_

_Sort of. I think I took care of it for now though. Just please help continue to persuade Anthony from not following through with this ridiculous proposal._

_Of course! Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you. xoxo_

❀

Eloise watched as the floor numbers slowly grew higher and higher. No one would tell her how one came to be with child when they were unmarried, but she knew who would. So, with foot-tapping, she rode the elevator up to Katherine’s apartment. Penelope had told her the most alarming thing that morning as they walked to school. One of the Featherington maids was pregnant and they weren’t even married. Sure, she had sex education, but it was more focused on abstinence and how her body would change if she were pregnant. Even in biology, they didn’t exactly go over how the sperm got to the egg to even attach itself. All she knew was that marriage was the special time for that and well, she didn’t exactly see herself getting married in the traditional sense. So the fact that it could happen outside of marriage freaked her out and she needed someone she could trust to tell her how to avoid it so she wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

The moment the elevator doors opened, she hurried to the older woman’s door and knocked incessantly until Katherine finally opened the door. “How does a lady come to be with child? I thought one needed to be married, but apparently, it’s not even a requirement. And no one else will tell me so I thought surely Kitty would. So please, please tell me, Kitty.”

Katherine blinked a couple of times to try and wrap her head around the blurb of words that just came her way before chuckling and opening the door wider for Eloise to come in. “Hello to you too, Eloise. It’s so lovely to see you.” She was just glad Anthony had left a little while before his second younger sister showed up knocking at her door.

“Yes, sorry, hello, Kitty.” Eloise came in, heading straight for the living room and making herself at home.

The older woman locked the door behind her before joining Eloise on the couch. She was fairly surprised she didn’t already know, especially with her nearing her A-Levels. “What brought this question on, Eloise? And why haven’t you tried googling it already?”

Eloise huffed. At least Katherine wasn’t shutting her down completely, just trying to get to the bottom of her sudden interest. “One of the Featherington maids is pregnant and she’s not married and I haven’t tried looking there because the internet can be a scary place. Surely you know this.”

Katherine smiled, trying to hold back her laughter. “Yes, yes it can be.” And with how many searches could bring up porn these days, it probably was better off since Eloise seemed to be quite alarmed about this fact. She tucked away the information for later. It seemed that Penelope had figured out Marina’s secret. She hoped the young woman was alright and she also hoped that it meant that Penelope was trying to be Marina’s friend. Marina needed all the friends she could get right now.

“So, it’s true then? You don’t have to be married in order to become with child? How do I avoid it? I want to finish my education, make my mark in the world before I become what is expected of me as a Bridgerton. How do you do it, Kitty? Tell me all of your secrets.”

“Eloise,” she chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her. “Slow down, Eloise. You’re only 17 and have your entire life ahead of you. If you’re not having sex with a man, then you won’t get pregnant. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Don’t have sex with a man. Sounds easy enough.” Easier than Katherine would know for her. While she had been watching Daphne prepare for all of this, she started to question things and more than in her sense of being an independent woman. She didn’t agree with this ritual based on her sense of independence but being married to a man for the rest of her life seemed horrific when she would much rather be with Penelope for the rest of her life.

“Do you mind if I tell, Pen?” She asked, knowing that her friend was also trying to figure out things from her maid.

Katherine shook her head. “Not at all but if her mother comes into my office screaming about how I corrupted her daughter, I know who to come after. Hell, if your own mother comes into my office.”

“There will be none of that, I assure you.” She smiled up at the older woman.

“Did you come all the way over here on your lunch break?” Katherine asked.

“Maybe.”

Katherine laughed. “Do you need something before you head back?”

Eloise looked a bit sheepish which caused Katherine to smile. The older woman got up and quickly made a sandwich for the girl she viewed as a younger sister. Grabbing a grocery bag, she tossed in a bag of chips, a water bottle, and of course the sandwich inside before handing it over. She then grabbed a notepad and wrote a quick note asking for the teacher to excuse her tardiness to class.

“Go ahead downstairs. Eddie’ll drive you back so you can eat and get to school without missing anything.” She said as she handed over the note after she signed it and listed her phone number.

Eloise wrapped her arms around Katherine’s waist and squeezed tight. “Thanks, Kitty. You’re the best.”

Katherine placed a kiss on top of Eloise’s head and sent her off, calling Eddie to pull the car around for the girl.

❀

Dropping all her accessories at the small table by the front door, Katherine let out a relieved sigh. She would get them in the morning. The night had been fairly uneventful, well, that is until Simon, Anthony, and Nigel all went into the entertainment room with all the drinks and food. Daphne had soon followed and then she was walking out trying to hold things together.

“If she, or you, or anyone else in the family needs anything, I’m only a call away,” Katherine promised Violet.

She hated that she hadn’t been able to talk to Daphne herself at the ball. Her text conversation made her a little nervous, especially since she had mentioned her other services. She wouldn’t know until the next day how true that was.

❀

Katherine walked with her parents to find a perfect spot to set up their tent for the Company Picnic. Grateful for the more relaxed event, she dressed comfortably, something her parents seemed to hate but knowing how they would react she made sure to arrive at a time where they couldn’t stop by her flat to make her change. Heaven forbid she wore jeans and canvas shoes to the park. Besides wouldn’t it be good to stand out in a sea of skirts and dresses the other ladies would undoubtedly be wearing?

After they finished eating, she didn’t stay with her family long. With a shout of her name her only warning she soon had her arms filled with Hyacinth Bridgerton. Katherine laughed as she sat up, still holding onto the youngest Bridgerton. “Hello to you too. You remember my parents?” She motioned to Howard and Elizabeth sitting behind her.

Hyacinth nodded, waving towards them. “Hello!”

“Would you like a chocolate-covered strawberry?” Elizabeth asked, holding out the platter towards them.

While Hyacinth decided on which one she wanted, Katherine plucked one for herself. Noticing which one she picked, Hyacinth chose the same one. “We went to that bakery you told us about with those yummy cupcakes.” The youngest Bridgerton announced after she finished her bite. “I made sure we got your favorite if you want to come get it before someone else takes it.”

“Oh, we can’t let that happen.” Katherine laughed, standing up with Hyacinth, following behind the girl as she took her hand, running off towards the Bridgerton tent.

Howard sighed, rolling his eyes as he watched his daughter run off. Elizabeth nudged her husband and smiled softly at him. “She’s participating the best she can after being sprung into this. I know Anthony doesn’t have the best reputation but I believe they have worked well together in the past, have they not? And didn’t you and Edmund always discuss how great a pair they would be?”

“Edmund isn’t here, darling, and Anthony has to be the one to initiate it. They might work well together but she needs someone who isn’t only going to put forth the bare minimum.”

Elizabeth sighed. “I thought he’d recently stepped back up to the plate. He has taken on everything at a very young age, dear.”

“I suppose you’re right. I still won’t consider anything unless he actually starts something. She needs to find someone Bessie. Have you tried talking to her?”

“Of course I have. She’s still of the opinion of not understanding why she needs to have someone when she takes over, especially since she seems to be doing a great job so far.”

“Then please try again until she understands.”

❀

“Are there still red velvet cupcakes?” Hyacinth asked once they returned to her family’s tent.

Violet smiled as she handed Katherine the red velvet cupcake that had been saved off on the side. “So you must be the reason why my children insisted on getting these cupcakes.”

Katherine smiled, although confused by who else Violet could possibly mean since Hyacinth made it seem like it was all her idea. “Guilty. They are the best cupcakes in London, though, if you haven’t had one yet.”

“They are rather tasty,” Anthony said from behind her, trying to swipe his finger in the icing. He had just finished talking to Daphne about why she didn’t tell him about Nigel. He hoped that he’d be able to steal Katherine away to discuss things with her.

Katherine swatted his hand away as she moved out of his reach.

“Anthony, that one’s for Kitty!” Hyacinth cried.

Katherine chuckled, patting the young girl on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Hyacinth. Your brother has been trying to eat my cupcakes since we were your age.”

Anthony shrugged. “They just taste better off your plate, Kitty. What can I say?”

“Let Kitty eat her cupcake in peace.” Violet gave Anthony a motherly glare before motioning to an empty seat for Katherine.

She took it happily, grinning at Anthony before taking a bite of her cupcake.

“Now that would be quite the scandal. Anthony Bridgerton, cupcake thief.” Benedict teased, causing Katherine to snort.

Anthony rolled his eyes. “You would be involved too, Kitty. It’s only your cupcakes after all.”

“You’ve never been successful, so no I wouldn’t.”

He gave her a challenging look. This would be the perfect opportunity to talk about things with her. So he lunged forward, stealing the plate from her hands. Katherine jumped up, missing the look Violet had given Benedict for instigating this scene.

Anthony started leading her out of the tent and just as she was about to make a move, she noticed Nigel Berbrooke quickly approaching. “Oh, god,” Katherine muttered.

Anthony stopped, brows furrowed. “What?”

Katherine just pointed and when Anthony turned to see what made her react like that, he handed her plate back. She stepped up to stand next to him, taking her cupcake back all the while glaring at Nigel.

“I bring cheerful news, Bridgertons!” Nigel announced loud enough for those in the vicinity of the Bridgerton camp to hear. “I have taken matters into my own hands and sought a special license for my marriage to Miss Bridgerton.”

Katherine set her plate on the empty chair nearby. She had a feeling she was about to add to the bruises that covered Nigel’s face.

“There is to be no wedding,” Daphne said as she returned from walking with Simon.

“I told you. The arrangement is canceled.” Anthony nearly growled.

“Mr. Berbrooke,” Violet spoke up, “you look in a great deal of pain. Should we continue this conversation in a more private location?” She hoped that she could diffuse the situation. Anthony always acted first before thinking and it seemed like Katherine was getting ready for a fight as well.

“I require no further conversation. Though, perhaps I am finally speaking to the true head of the Bridgerton house. For if it were you,” he looked at Anthony with a sneer, “I imagine you would have instructed your sister to take better care than to encourage certain attentions while alone with me on the dark walk at Vauxhall.”

Katherine stepped forward, ready to just let Nigel have it. The only satisfaction she got was to see him flinch as Anthony pulled her back towards him. He kept an arm wrapped around her, his hand pressing into her hip so she wouldn’t move. “Kit, if we both lash out now then it won’t make things any better for Daphne.” He whispered to her which he received a small nod in reply.

Nigel laughed at the scene. “I see you’ve finally gotten your Kitty cat under control.”

Katherine tested Anthony’s hold on her but he just tightened it, keeping her in place. “You haven’t seen my claws yet, Berbrooke and you don’t want to.”

“I’d put a muzzle on her if I were you. Then again Bridgerton, you seem to like to go off alone with her just as much as your sister likes to go off by herself. Of course, mere hearsay of such scandals could wreak havoc on even the most influential families. What would someone like LW do with such seemly information?” Nigel threatened.

“Is that a threat?” Anthony challenged, his anger rising closer and closer to the surface so that he would no longer be able to listen to his own advice.

“It is not.” Nigel denied, stepping closer to Anthony and Kitty, staying closer to Anthony’s side. “In three days, I am to marry. I have the diamond of the season. I have the very best the ton has to offer. I have a Bridgerton. And I shall save her, as well as your entire family from the ruin which you could not protect them.”

He moved to shove the papers towards Anthony but Katherine snatched them from his hands. “You better leave before I remind everyone why these papers actually mean nothing and you can still act like the entitled asshat that you are.”

Nigel looked on with wide eyes, wondering what exactly she meant before taking off. With him gone, Katherine immediately started looking through the papers. With their organization, it wasn’t just a typical marriage. There were business arrangements as well and with how Jamie from Dirt Doctor didn’t know how to work a typical clean-up, she hoped she didn’t know how to do the other paperwork associated with a marriage besides the obvious marriage license.

“What are you looking for Kitty?” Daphne asked.

“To see if his me did her job,” Katherine answered, not caring or even taking notice that Anthony had not released her yet as he was looking over her shoulder.

But then Katherine found the page she was looking for and sighed. “Fuck.” She sighed out. “Looks like she learned her lesson.”

“So it’s legit?” Anthony asked.

She turned around and placed the papers on his chest. “Afraid so. But don’t worry. I’m on it.” She grinned, kissing his cheek before going over to give Daphne a tight hug.

“I’ll figure something out. You won’t have to worry about him.” She kissed the younger woman’s head before saying her goodbyes and going back to her family’s tent.

“I need everything about the rules of how these marriage proposals work, especially when involving two different clean-up companies.” She declared before her parents could ask anything.

Howard sighed. “You have to promise not to use it against your own proposal.”

Katherine crossed her heart and her father agreed before starting to clean up their camp so that he and Katherine could discuss all that was needed.

She poured over all of the paperwork and she was beginning to get far too frustrated to even focus. She wasn’t finding anything and she was about to call her clean-up crew when instead she got an invite to join Violet for tea and asked to bring any of her special information-gathering gadgets.

She wouldn’t understand the request until she saw Nigel’s mother sitting in the drawing room. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she walked around to sit in between Daphne and Mrs. Berbrooke.

“What are you doing here? You already lost your chance with my Nigel when you tossed him to the sharks practically the moment you returned.” Mrs. Berbrooke stated.

Katherine did her best not to gag as she set her bag down near Mrs. Berbrooke’s. “I was requested to be here by Mrs. Bridgerton, actually. You see with your son marrying Daphne, we’d hoped that you would switch over to Gibbs Communications for any of your needs. Since I already had a good relationship with Daphne it would be beneficial for me to follow her as she learns the more public roles of your company.”

“Surely you should reconsider since the Gibbs handle all of the larger companies’ PR and Marketing. Katherine here is surely someone you’d rather have in your corner than as your enemy. I can assure you that.” Violet glanced over knowingly towards Katherine.

“Maybe we can consider the change once Daphne and my Nigel are married.” Mrs. Berbrooke said with a sickly-sweet smile.

As conversation continued, Katherine resituated herself and pretended to knock something over. She quickly swiped a few things on Mrs. Berbrooke’s phone, grateful that she didn’t have it locked. She popped back up in a couple of seconds, the exchange confirmed. Katherine smiled towards Violet and offered a small nod.

Daphne looked between the two women, confused at what was going on. All she got in return was a reassuring squeeze from Katherine before she stood to go to the restroom. 

She hopped up onto the bathroom counter and started scrolling through all the new information until she happened upon a secret so big, not only would this impending marriage never happen but Charlotte King would kick the Berbrooke’s from her organization. Katherine hopped back down and wiggled around a bit in a happy dance.

Returning to the drawing room, Katherine gave another curt nod towards Violet. With that, the matron of the Bridgerton house ended the tea. “What have you found?” She asked Katherine.

“What is going on?” Daphne asked.

“Oh, Daphne, you don’t think I would have invited that woman and Miss Gibbs to the same tea coincidentally without thinking about you, could you? Katherine is very good at her job for a reason.” She motioned for Katherine to speak.

“I’m not sure how much you know about what Mrs. Berbrooke mentioned when I arrived but I had to handle a mess their family made that could have been trouble for us. They used a clean-up service fronting as Dirt Doctor and an agent named Jamie. Jamie is the cousin of a major player in the New York organization. Said cousin and Nigel had relations that resulted in a pregnancy that Nigel is not helping support at all. So, he could remain alive, they cut him a deal. Instead of taking care of his child, he’s playing double agent and trying to get our ring crushed.” Katherine explained, looking rather giddy.

“But he’d only deny it. Then what?” Daphne asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

Katherine smirked. “Oh, I have the receipts. He’s doing this in exchange for sending child support. They send Mrs. Berbrooke pictures as proof of life. I just have to make a couple of phone calls, talk to Charlotte herself, and fill out a contact form on a certain anonymous blog.”

“You’re sure it will work?” Daphne asked again.

“Katherine is the best in the business dear. She may not be heading up her family’s company yet but great things will happen once she does.” Violet smiled, placing a comforting hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“You will be rid of him. I promise. I have other ways planned if this does not work.” Katherine smiled reassuringly. “I’ll text you once it is done.” And with that, she was off.

❀

_It has come to my attention dear readers that we should be paying attention to a couple of_ _things among the glitz and glamor of the matchmaking season._

_The first is that Miss Katherine Gibbs may have sent away all her callers and no more have_ _tried but it is all for good reason for Miss Gibbs is good at her job. Once she takes over Gibbs_ _Communication the rest of the organization will be well taken care of as the next observation_ _implies._

_We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and it seems we all have needed that reminder despite_ _the business we all find ourselves in. The bumbling Berbrooke seems to have stumbled into_ _some murky waters and tried to get his head above water again by playing a double agent to_ _our competitors on American soil. All of this instead of merely doing his due diligence as a_ _father. I would not be surprised if he announces a trip to America soon and there’s an_ _announcement made that our circle should no longer do business with the Berbrooke’s._

_I believe the moral of this story is that now that Miss Gibbs has returned to our fair ton, that it’s_ _best to be honest with her and if you’re looking to capture her heart that you must not be fearful_ _of a strong woman. I do believe I know a few who fit that description, but I know of only one that would make this author happy to hear that a partnership has been formed._

_~ LW_

“I believe a thank you is in order,” Anthony said over the phone as he walked the length of his in-home office at the Bridgerton Estate.

Katherine rolled her eyes, sitting at her vanity with her phone tucked between her ear and shoulder as she wiped off her makeup from the latest ball. “I wish you would have told me last night. Things would have been taken care of long before his little stunt.”

“I didn't think he would do something like that after I told him the deal was done. Besides, I feel bad for calling you every time that I or my family is in trouble.”

“You are aware that’s literally why you pay me but even more than that I am your friend and I care for you and your family deeply so I’m more than happy to help even if it seems the most mundane thing.” She placed her phone on speaker, setting it down on her vanity table so she could move closer to the mirror and continue her nighttime routine.

“I know, I know.”

“Especially since your idea of handling things is to go back hundreds of years and challenge him to a duel. You are aware those are even more illegal than they were back then?”

“I promise to consult you on any future matters.”

“Good.”

Anthony smiled briefly before smirking, getting ready to tease her. “Do you think anyone is going to show up acting like they’re not fearful of an equal partnership with you? And who on earth do you think LW is thinking about?”

Katherine groaned, rolling her eyes. “You’re insufferable. Good night.”

“Night, Kit.”

Smiling, Katherine hung up the phone and made her way to bed, not realizing that this scandal was the least of her worries.

❀

In a small Scottish coastal town, one Luca Dawson sat in his cousin's home not really paying attention to what was on the television as he tried to fix a broken toy. That is until he heard the name Katherine Gibbs come out of some man's mouth talking about how she swooped back in and started making changes that caused him to lose so much.

So she did go into the family business, after all, he thought, glancing back down at the toy. A wicked smirk grew across his features as he set the toy to the side and pulled out his phone. Doing a quick search of one of the many women he had left behind, he learned just how successful she’d become. She opened many Gibbs Communications offices throughout the world and she still seemed to be friends with those Basset and Bridgerton boys according to her social media.

She was doing just fine indeed and here he was in between jobs and staying with his cousin and actually being a semi-father figure to the kid he walked out on nearly a decade ago. Well, he could fix that.

_Dear Mr. Gibbs,_

_My name is Luca Dawson. I didn’t want it to come to this but I’m afraid that I can’t seem to get a hold of your daughter. You see Katherine and I dated during most of our time at Oxford together. I graduated a year before she did and during that time she apparently found out that she was pregnant. She wanted to keep it secret I guess, for I didn’t even know about our child until I started living with my cousin, who adopted the child after an arrangement with an adoption agency and one Simon Basset. We miss your daughter greatly and if you could pass along the message, we would greatly appreciate it._

_Attached are photos that might persuade Katherine to return to us. You see I’ve recently lost my job and I can’t help support my cousin in raising my child until I find another job. I want our child to have the very best life and it kills me that I cannot provide that for them at this time. I remember Katherine being very reasonable so if you could just help me get in contact with her that would be greatly appreciated._

_Thank you,  
_ _Luca Dawson_

He smirked while reading back through the email. Yes, that should work just fine. Luckily the kid got Katherine’s eyes while the kid got his nose so it was clear to see that they did indeed have a child together. Once he sent it, he locked his phone and headed to his room. He had a trip to London to pack for.


	7. The Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Well, it seems like I somehow missed updating this fic when I did it everywhere else. It just means you get two updates today instead of one! Happy reading!

The next morning, Katherine worked on her laptop while her parents were waiting for suitors to call. Not only was she working on the Trowbridge ball but she was also working with the company lawyers to sue Nigel Berbrooke for defamation. The man really had been so dumb as to appear on an American news station and to tell all. They were not only working for a case against Nigel himself but against his estate, just in case Nigel wound up in the Hudson River.

Beside her, she had a plate filled with various pastries that had been brought into feed potential suitors. Even after LW's latest post, she highly doubted anyone would come calling. So she nibbled as she worked, doing her best to avoid her father's judgmental stare. It seemed harsher than usual and she honestly had no idea what she had done to warrant it especially since she figured out the Bridgerton Berbrooke problem all on her own. Then again she never could make her father happy.

At the sound of her mother's gasp, Katherine looked up from her laptop to see who had come calling. The moment she realized that it was Simon, her brows furrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?" She was quite certain he should be promenading with Daphne at the park or having coffee at one of the local coffee shops.

"Katherine Marie!" Her father chided.

She motioned to him as she clicked save on what she was working on. "I think with how long he's known me, I'm just fine." She then closed her laptop and looked over at Simon, holding out her plate. "Orange scone?"

Simon chuckled as he picked up the scone from her plate. "I knew you would be here." He said before taking a bite and soon he hummed in approval at the taste causing Katherine to smile. "I was actually hoping to talk in private. I need some of your friendly advice."

"Let's go to the garden then," Katherine said as she stood, motioning for him to start walking that way and grabbed a scone for herself.

"But what about any potential callers, Kitty?" Her mother asked.

She looked up at the ceiling suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. "Then they can wait. A friend of mine needs my help. That trumps everything else in my book." She then nudged Simon further out the door so they could hurry and get out of there before her father could say something or her mother could reply.

Once they made it outside the house, Katherine let out a sigh of relief. "I cannot wait until this is all over."

Chuckling, he offered his arm, which she easily took as she took a bite of her scone. "You and me both. There seems to be a little bit of a hiccup in this ruse you helped create."

She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about Simon?"

He looked around to make sure no one had followed them or there weren't any gardeners around. When he noticed they were truly alone, he took the last bite of his scone to keep his confession back a little longer. "I seem to be developing feelings for Daphne."

"Are you not sure?"

"The only woman I have truly friended has been you, Kitty. The others I've either dated or taken to bed. Yet this friendship with her seems different."

"It's obviously going to be different. We're not alike. But how is it different?"

He looked down at his feet as he thought about it. After all, the thought of Katherine also excited him but it was more so because of what they would be doing. They always got into something and he always forgot the pressures to be perfect while with her. He got excited about seeing Daphne because he would get to spend time with her. He wanted to be perfect for her because that's what she deserved. "I get excited just to be in her presence. She makes me want to be a better man, not that you don't, of course. It's just a little different of a push."

"Nice save," Katherine chuckled, "So why do you seem upset about this? It seems like you two have something. You can't exactly fake how you two look at each other."

"Because I can't give her what she wants."

Katherine sighed, slowing to a stop. "Simon, I know you made that vow, and trust me, I get it. You know I will have your back no matter what, but I don't want this vow of yours to keep you from living your life to all that it could be."

"I already told you that I'm not going to be lonely because I have you."

Stepping in front of him, she placed a hand on either side of his face and brought him down so they could look each other eye to eye. "Simon Basset, I want you to listen to me and listen to me good. Your father was an utter twat, but you do not have to let him keep standing in your way of living a life that you want to live. Your life can be full of happiness and love someone for once that isn't platonically or to make sure a primeval need is met."

"Yet weren't you hurt by those same notions?"

Katherine gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Love can burn so that it hurts us which is what I experienced in the worst way possible but love can also burn so that it warms you and your partner for a long time. I'm willing to bet that you and Daphne could have that if you let yourself feel these emotions. Just something to think about, hmm?" She patted his cheek before pulling away and turning around to continue their walk.

Simon slowly returned to his full height, processing what she had just said. "When are you going to follow your own advice?" He asked her, not ready to face what she had told him. "Because I will once you do."

Stopping in her tracks, she slowly turned around. "What are you on about?"

"You and Anthony."

In her utter shock, Katherine began laughing. Every time she tried to say something to counteract that she just started laughing even more. Shaking her head, she tried to catch her breath so she could finally speak. "You have officially lost it. Me and Anthony? Really?"

"I've been watching you two for a long time. Something shifted during the incident and because it was during that time frame you both have been too afraid to actually do anything so you continue to argue and yet still are there for each other whenever one of you needs something. If even LW can see something then you have to know it's there."

Katherine shook her head, not wanting to hear what Simon was saying. "You were there during that too."

"And yet I wasn't the one holding your hand."

"You were helping the midwife."

Simon chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't have to and yet I was the first one to volunteer leaving you to squeeze the hand of Anthony and the woman who helped us out."

"Which you found, so. This isn't even the same thing. We can either continue our walk through the garden to the side gate to escape or you can go about your day and I'll go back to figuring out a campaign for the Featherington Casino while waiting for callers that will never show up."

"You're a very stubborn woman, you know that?"

"And yet here you stand."

He motioned for her to continue forward. "C'mon, Kitty, we need to go do something to get matchmaking off our brain for a little while."

Katherine smiled and came back to his side, looping her arm around his. "I couldn't agree with you more."

❀

When Howard Gibbs received the email about his daughter's secret child, he nearly blew a gasket. So he did every single background check there was before asking if Luca would keep things quiet and how much child support was needed. He knew that this person emailing him was not a part of the organization so he explained Katherine's current hunt for a husband. If she didn't find a potential match by the time there was only a month left in the season, he would wed Katherine off to Luca so that she may properly take care of her family. While he didn't inform Luca of this, he made a personal promise to himself that Katherine would not go anywhere near the Hastings account until she took over the company. Matter of fact, he would use the Hastings account to help pay the child support if Simon Basset wanted to help his daughter keep secrets.

Luca laughed when he got the reply before responding to the request.

_Dear Mr. Gibbs,_

_I understand that Katherine lives in a very different world than most. I am more than happy to wait and will keep quiet about things. I have to think about what is best for mine and Katherine's child after all. Below is my banking info for you to direct deposit the child support. I hope that I'll be able to see Katherine soon because ultimately I just want to talk with her and to try to make our family work._

Luca smiled proudly at his laptop screen after sending his reply. This was far easier than he had expected.

❀

News that Frederich Prince would be joining the fray spread like wildfire throughout the organization. Everyone that wasn't being courted buzzed with the energy of wanting to claim Charlotte King's nephew as their own. Anyone who would be able to get him to propose would be promoted to the near top of the hierarchy chain since Frederich was the underboss, meaning he controlled most of the international affairs out of the German office.

"You met him while you were traveling, did you not?" Elizabeth asked her daughter while

Genevieve was making adjustments to the jumpsuit Katherine was planning to wear that evening.

"Yes, mum, we did. I had to meet with him to get him and the King's connected to the international Gibbs Communications' offices, especially the one in Germany." She then looked down at Genevieve. "Hey Gen, what do you think about taking away the train and making it so that the cape will have pockets since these pant legs are practically skintight?"

"I think I can make that work. Did you want to take off the sleeve as well and keep it asymmetrical, but it'll be more triangular than a long sleeve?"

"So, it would become essentially strapless?" Katherine asked to clarify.

Genevieve nodded. "Yes ma'am. You've been wearing some rather dramatic pieces this season and I wanted to continue with that, but I thought maybe we could add some more drama."

Katherine grinned despite Elizabeth's unsure looks. "And this is why I love coming to you Gen. You're so amazing. I can't wait to see it all come together."

"Genevieve, might I look at the accessories you have that could complement this vision you two have concocted?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course, Mrs. Gibbs. The table on the right in the middle should offer you many choices that would complement this jumpsuit well." Genevieve smiled towards the older woman. The moment Elizabeth left the room, Katherine squatted down to be at the boutique owner's height. "I have a favor to ask you."

"Well, it depends on the kind of favor," Genevieve smirked.

"Would you mind if I see your other books?"

Genevieve laughed. "When are you going to make a break from this socialite monstrosity and just take over your father's company?"

"As soon as I figure out what's going on with one of my new accounts."

Genevieve slowly stood, helping Katherine stand as well as she went. "Who are you looking for?"

"The Featheringtons."

"Well," Genevieve chuckled, "you don't have to check the books. They haven't used my other services in quite some time. Matter of fact they're beginning to rack up quite the bill and I haven't seen much of it at all."

Katherine sighed. "That's what I was worried you would say."

"Maybe you could take them over instead. I need you ruling the world already." Genevieve joked as she started marking the sleeve. "But then again if you snag this Frederich..."

"Oh, please." Katherine laughed. "Charlotte King has her sights on Daphne Bridgerton for him. She is her diamond after all. I just hope I continue a good business partnership because if Charlotte decides that I'm not good enough for her, there goes practically everything."

Genevieve smiled at Katherine in the mirror. "Then I will be sure that this jumpsuit will scream that you are an HBIC and that you shouldn't be looked over just because you're powerful."

Katherine easily matched her smile. "I have told you how much I love you today, right?"

She smirked. "Once or twice."

❀

Genevieve delivered as she always did, and Katherine was absolutely thrilled to get to wear the outfit. Her parents mistook her enthusiasm for her finally taking things a little seriously and they hoped Katherine would actually make an effort with Frederich.

Heads turned as she entered the venue which caused her to smirk. "Genevieve Delacroix you've done it yet again." She mumbled to herself.

As has come typical, she and Weatherby shared a dance but this time she didn't have to wait long for a second, not that she minded the wait. Her current dance partner, however, would not stop talking about how strong he was and how good he was with a gun. When the song ended he tried to ask for a second, but Katherine immediately shot it down. "I highly recommend if you are to find a wife this season you don't talk about how much of a safety hazard you are to our way of life. Thank you for letting me know that I need to keep an eye out for you but not in a good way."

She turned to walk away, hoping that someone she enjoyed talking to would magically appear. That's when she noticed Daphne who then motioned for Katherine to see who was making their way into the room. Turning to see Frederich and Charlotte enter, she put a little bounce in her step as she made her way over just in time to hear Daphne snort at Frederich's complement of her gown.

Katherine couldn't help the snicker that escaped but quickly stood straighter when Charlotte and Frederich turned their sights onto her.

"Katherine, it is so good to see you again. You look lovely as ever." He took her hand so he could place a kiss across her knuckles. "As you know dear aunt, that she and I worked together to establish Gibbs Communications in Germany. You will be happy to know, Katherine, that they continue to do the best work but I do miss our conversations."

Charlotte turned to look at Katherine more appraisingly. It would seem she had underestimated the woman.

Katherine, meanwhile, was trying not to blush. "It makes me very happy indeed. You have a great team there and I must admit I wish my meetings now could be more like ours were. I hope you enjoy your stay in London."

Smiling, he gave her a small nod before continuing to follow Charlotte around for introductions.

She didn't know what to do. She honestly had no idea she had made such an impression on him. "Did that just happen?" She asked Simon and Daphne.

"I believe it did." Daphne smiled, thrilled that it seemed as though Katherine had finally found a match she wouldn't be disgusted by.

"I can't believe you blushed at being complimented on your conversations." Simon teased her.

Katherine gasped, shoving at him playfully. "Shut up. I did not."

Daphne nodded. "You did, Kitty. It was humbling to see you getting flustered like that."

"I honestly had no idea that I had made such an impression. Did you?" She asked Simon.

He shook his head. "Not exactly but he may have just put you permanently on Charlotte's watch list."

"Well, great, because I don't have enough pressure on me." She sighed.

Daphne placed a comforting hand on Katherine's arm. "You're doing great. It's about time someone appreciated your marvellousness."

Katherine chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to give her a side hug. "Thanks, Daph."

"Anytime, Kitty." Daphne smiled up at the older woman, giving her side a squeeze in return.


	8. The Heartbreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you so much for all of the love and support this story has gotten. As I'm sure you've guessed with the chapter title this one's pretty angsty so get ready. I can't wait to hear what you all think and happy reading!

_It appears, dear reader, that even with the arrival of a Prince, our organization has seemingly been rather quiet as of late. This is rather upsetting that I can't bring you anything more scandalous to read. I must say, though, that it seems dear Frederich has his eyes on a few ladies after the latest ball. Two I'm hardly surprised by and yet the third I'm most shocked when there is a clear choice, especially since one of the two seems to be quite taken by a certain captain. Maybe the arrival of Frederich will make another captain realize what he's missing out on. Hopefully, with the new exhibit opening at Somerset House, there will be something more to write about._

_~ LW_

Somerset House's latest exhibit opened in the middle of the season, allowing for all including those not involved with the matchmaking event to walk its halls to appreciate various works of art including personal pieces donated, famous art pieces on loan from museums, and pieces done by local artists. One artist being showcased was Henry Granville whom Katherine adored and enjoyed working with when needed.

Since her mother was the only one who accompanied her, Katherine easily broke away once she saw not only Weatherby but Henry as well. "If it isn't some of my favorite people." She said as she approached them.

"Kitty!" They both exclaimed, turning to smile at her.

"Have you seen much?" Henry asked, wondering what she thought of the pieces he had provided.

"Not yet. I've only just arrived but seeing how a dear friend of mine was speaking to one of the artists on display, I couldn't pass the opportunity to come over."

"Oh, Kitty, you are a gem," Weatherby told her with a smile.

"You won't mind if I take her around to show her my pieces, will you?" Henry asked.

Weatherby shook his head. "Not at all. Enjoy the personal tour and we'll talk soon."

Katherine looped her arm with Henry's and as she passed Weatherby she gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Once a little away from the crowd, Henry leaned in close. "I wanted to also thank you for helping Weatherby maintain appearances."

Smiling, she patted his arm. "He's been helping me as well. Is your beautiful wife here as well?"

He smiled, nodding. "Yes. She's helping me keep the business side of things straight today. I'm hoping to either get some commissioned work or to sell some of the pieces on display."

"I'm sure you will be able to do both. Now, where are your paintings?"

He motioned in front of them with his chin. "Right where one of your Bridgerton friends is standing."

Looking over, she noticed Benedict Bridgerton standing there, looking up at the pieces on the wall. With a mischievous smirk, she turned back to Henry. "Do you want to have some fun?"

Chuckling, he nodded. "Always, when you're involved."

"Follow my lead." She winked before leading them over.

Henry laughed but followed Katherine over as she stood next to Benedict.

Benedict looked from the painting to see who had just walked up beside him. Seeing Katherine, he knew his opinion of the piece would be safe, especially since he knew she would let her opinion be known as well no matter what she thought of it. "It's much too cold." He started.

Katherine tilted her head as she took in the piece as Benedict continued, hoping she could keep a straight face.

"Where's any sense of the subject's spirit?" He continued. "And the light! Given the quality, I do wonder why the piece was not skyed with the other daubs."

She wrinkled her nose, tilting her head back and forth as if she was trying to really get a sense for the piece before speaking her mind. "Perhaps we should ask the artist." She finally suggested, looking up at Benedict.

"Well, that would be something, Kitty." Benedict nodded.

She hummed before looking towards Henry. "Henry, why was your piece not skyed?"

The two shared a smirk as Benedict looked between the two horrified. He couldn't believe that Katherine had just set him up like that. Just as Henry was about to answer, Benedict started apologizing. Henry held up his hand and smiled at Benedict before looking down at Katherine.

"Now that we've had our fun, I must go and find my wife, see how business is going. I do want your honest opinion later. This one was more of an experimentation." He excused himself.

"I'll be sure to find you then." Katherine smiled. With a smile and a wink, Henry walked away, leaving the two friends to return to the artwork.

Benedict felt like a fish gasping for water as he watched the two interact before he had her full attention. "You diabolical...how could you let me rattle on like that?"

Katherine chuckled. "How could I not? You make things far too easy, Benedict." She teased him.

"I'm going to get you back; I hope you know this."

"I'm planning on it. It's been far too long since we've entered into our little prank wars." She smirked before moving on to the next section to take in the various art hanging on the walls.

As she made her rounds, she greeted those she knew, chatting briefly if they were in the same Section. She and Frederich chatted briefly about the abstract art they had stopped in front of and how nice an event like this in between all of the balls was a nice break from all of the dancing. When he noticed Daphne by herself, he excused himself and made his way over as Katherine continued her rounds. Out of all the people that she did see, one person that she was surprised to see was Marina Thompson. She moved between the crowd, coming to stand next to her and Penelope. "Lovely to see you two here." She greeted, glancing towards Marina.

Marina sighed, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around Katherine and ask her to take her home. "Mrs. Featherington seems to think that I need to still find a husband."

Penelope looked between the two. "Wait, Kitty, do you know about Marina's...condition?"

"Sure do, Pen. But I'm here to help." Katherine looked towards both girls and gave a reassuring smile. "Why does Portia think you need a husband? Just because the father is deployed, doesn't mean anything."

Marina looked down at her feet as Penelope rubbed her back. "He hasn't written back so she's taking it as him abandoning me."

Katherine twirled a strand of her hair as she looked up at the paintings. She wasn't sure how to really say this without potentially giving herself away. "I don't want to lie to you but it is a very real chance. Men can be right assholes when they want to be, but if you believe that this isn't George then ask if any of her potential husbands can be vetted through me. That should save you some time plus with you reentering into society, you should be receiving callers again."

"I'll even ask that too so maybe she won't suspect anything." Penelope offered.

Marina smiled over at the youngest Featherington daughter. "Thanks, Pen."

Wishing the two girls well after reiterating that they could call her for anything they might need, Katherine continued roaming around Somerset House. Oddly enough it was moments like these that she let herself feel that sense of loneliness that comes with being comfortable enough enjoying her own company most of the time. She wished she had someone to make rounds with, chat with friends, and remark on the art together. Instead, it was by herself or with her mother.

She didn't mind the company of her mother. She enjoyed it in fact, enjoyed it the most when they were away from her stepfather. She just wished she had someone.

"What did you do to my brother?" Anthony said, touching her lower back as he sidled up next to her.

Katherine turned to face her newest conversation partner with a grin. "I just let him prattle on his honest opinion of Henry's piece in front of Henry." She said with a grin.

"And you thought that wise?"

"Henry's fine. We chatted again a little later and since the piece was an experimentation with some techniques, he's going to switch things up."

Anthony chuckled, shaking his head. "There will be no living with the two of you for a while, will there?"

"Probably not but Benedict's never been able to truly get me, so we'll see if he's upped his game while I was away."

Before he could respond, a collective gasp was heard around the room causing both of them to spin around just in time to see Frederich catch Cressida Cowper. Katherine tried to hide her laughter behind her hand. "Did she just bloody swoon?"

Anthony snickered, nodding his head. "I believe she did."

Turning, she hid her face in his shoulder, laughing. "Oh, that poor girl really is desperate."

He snorted before nudging her into another room so they both could properly have a laugh. They entered into a fit of giggles, heads bent towards each other as they tried to make sure they weren't too loud that they would get caught.

"Kitty!" Anthony finally exclaimed, in a mock accusatory tone. "She is one of your clients." He then whispered.

"Anthony!" She repeated in the same tone he used. "I'm well aware and it's still true. Even I can't fix that."

They started cracking up again, flopping down onto the bench in the middle of the room, hunching close together.

"There you two are," Violet said, Elizabeth right next to her, both women looking very amused.

"What are you two giggling about?" Elizabeth asked.

The pair sat straight up, with eyes as wide as deer's caught in headlights. "N-nothing." Katherine tried.

"Nothing at all." Anthony finished, hoping they sounded convincing but knew they didn't. He just hoped he wasn't about to get another nudge from his mother to court his best friend.

"Well, it's time to go," Elizabeth said, motioning for Katherine to follow.

Nodding, Katherine stood up and gave Anthony a quick hug, letting him know that she'd talk to him later. Once in their car, Elizabeth looked over to her daughter who was looking out the window. "I may have underestimated your friendship with Anthony."

Katherine scrunched her nose, whipping her head over to focus on her mother. "Mum, no. We're just friends, really."

Elizabeth raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, dear. Whatever you say."

In the Bridgerton car, Violet kept giving Anthony a knowing look as he listened to Eloise recount what Cressida had done. He was sure his second younger sister would be texting his best friend in a moment to share her thoughts. He just subtly shook his head. He wasn't going to get into this again. He had just gotten Katherine back into his life full time. He wasn't about to do anything that would push her away from him.

❀

"I didn't know where else to go," Daphne said, standing in the doorway to Katherine's office, trying her hardest not to cry in front of so many people. She knew going into this it was all faked but if that was the case then why did their friendship, her feelings towards him feel so real.

Simon had hinted that Katherine knew the truth. So after he walked off she started for the office building that held Gibbs Communications. She couldn't very well tell her mother about it. She was fixed on the fact that she and Simon were in love with each other.

Katherine's head popped around her large computer monitor when she heard Daphne's voice at the door. The redhead seemed to be barely keeping it together which made a million and one scenarios race through the older woman's mind. "Daph, what happened? Do I need to call anyone?"

Daphne shook her head. "Do you think we could go somewhere with fewer windows?"

A soft smile tugged on Katherine's lips as she pushed herself away from her desk, grabbing her badge and a box of tissues. "Ever been on the roof?"

Handing Daphne the box of tissues, she ushered the young woman out of her office and to the stairwell. After going up two flights, Katherine placed her badge over the reader and once the light turned green, she opened the door and motioned for Daphne to head on out.

Both women blinked to let their eyes adjust to the sudden brightness of the mid-afternoon. Once Katherine was able to do more than stumble forward, she brought Daphne around to her spot that she created to take a break when work got too tough. Complete with cushioned covered milk crates, Katherine motioned for the younger woman to sit down.

Daphne moved the crate to sit right next to Katherine so she could rest her head on the older woman's shoulder. "Do you know of mine and Simon's arrangement?"

Katherine nodded, wrapping an arm around the other's shoulders, bringing her in close. "I am."

"And yet you never said a word."

"Daph, I cover things up for part of my living." She chuckled. "Besides, it was a good plan in the beginning."

"Well, it's a horrible plan now." She sniffled. "I thought by the end of this I would have maybe made a new friend but it seems that I was merely just a convenience and a distraction."

Katherine gasped. "He did not say those things to you."

"He did." Daphne started crying then, turning more into Katherine's side, seeking out comfort.

Holding Daphne close, she rubbed her back as she let her cry it out. It seemed she would be making a visit to her dear friend Simon today. "While those words are very upsetting to hear no matter what, I'm assuming they hurt a little more because you too have developed feelings for him?" She asked as Daphne's cries quieted down.

Daphne nodded. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

Katherine chuckled. "No one ever does." She placed a kiss on top of her head while giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Listen, Daph, this is a classic Simon move. He hurts the people he cares about in order to push them away. Not to undermine what he said to you, you should certainly demand an apology, but that's what this seems like. He prefers..."

"To be alone, I know. Anthony told me the same thing." Daphne said, cutting Katherine off. "And yet he traveled the world with you and cast me aside as if I meant nothing."

"Well, that's easy, I'm not you. Mine and Simon's friendship doesn't even compare to what you and he could have and that frightens him so he goes back to what he knows is safe." She pulled a tissue from the box sitting in Daphne's lap and nudged her so she'd look up at her.

"Do I think you two are great together? Sure." She continued as she started to dab at the younger woman's tears. "But if I have learned anything in my nearly 30 years of life, it is that no matter how much we may love them, no man is worth our tears. So we cry for a moment, get all of the hurt out, and then readjust our crowns and move on with our lives. After all, you still have a husband to find and well, Frederich is a great catch. No Simon, but still, just as good." Katherine smiled once she was done, even going so far as to adjust Daphne's invisible crown.

Finally, Daphne gave her a smile before hugging Katherine tightly. "I just want to call you my sister, officially."

Katherine laughed. "Does this mean you've been calling me that unofficially?"

Daphne nodded. "You've always been an honorary Bridgerton."

"Good to know."

"And are you sure about Frederich? I don't want to take away one of your matches."

Katherine waved her off. "Have you not been paying attention to LW? I need to stop doing favors for others and focus on myself." She teased. "Frederich is only interested in further developing our business partnership and seeks me out when he's tired of chatting with Cressida. Besides, I'm not the one Charlotte intended for him."

"But he..." Daphne started before Katherine cut her off.

"Caught me off guard because he was laying his flirtation on thick."

"You're holding out for someone, aren't you?" Daphne asked before realization caused her face to light up. "You're waiting on my brother aren't you? Eloise actually called you two cute when she saw the two of you trying to keep your laughter at a minimum when Cressida swooned."

"Sorry to disappoint, Daph, but I'm not waiting on Anthony or anyone for that matter. I just want this thing to end so I can persuade my parents to let me take over without a husband."

"But you two would be perfect. He's been so thrilled that you're home. He missed you so much. I honestly think that's why he started seeing that girl from the West End."

"Daphne, honestly." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"I think the lady doth protest too much," Daphne said with a gleam in her eye. "I bet the next event he either asks for a dance or finds some way to get you alone."

"And what is that to prove exactly?"

"That he likes you, as more than a friend, especially if he dances with you."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Daph. Ready to head back downstairs? Do I need to call a car for you?"

Daphne nodded. "If you don't mind."

"I'll call Eddie. He'll take good care of ya." Katherine promised as they made their way back inside.

❀

After Daphne had left, Katherine focused on finalizing details for the extravaganza of an event Mrs. Trowbridge was planning. They had split the task between them and lucky for her, she had all of the most important tasks like catering and finding a party company that could produce what exactly Mrs. Trowbridge was imagining the night to look like: Cirque du Soleil Lite.

The sound of her phone ringing was a welcome distraction from looking over the catering invoice and making sure nothing else needed to be changed last minute. She was making herself hungry and she had just finished her lunch. This ball would have the best food yet. She picked up the receiver of her office phone and tucked it between her ear and shoulder. "Gibbs Communications, this is Katherine."

The voice on the other end started going it seemed a mile a minute while there were gut-wrenching sobs in the background. All Katherine could gather was that Marina had just received a letter from George. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Pen, slow down. Tell me what happened again. Or better yet is Marina able to come to the phone?"

She heard Penelope's muffled voice as if she had outstretched her hand to hold the phone out for Marina. The sounds of her cries were much louder until they faded again towards the background as Penelope brought her cellphone back to her ear. "She can't talk right now. She's too heartbroken. Can you come get her?"

Katherine sighed and went to go check her calendar again. She wouldn't be able to actually take the girl anywhere, but they could go for a drive. She pulled up her text messages while she laid out the plan to Penelope. "Alright, Pen, here's what I need you to do for me. I can't take her home with me cause I've got some meetings later that I can't really miss so I'm coming over and Eddie's gonna take us on a bit of a drive. Can you clean Marina up a bit and meet us outside in about fifteen?"

"Yeah, I'll do my best."

"Brilliant. I'll see you both in a few." She hung up the phone and quickly emailed herself the remaining invoices that she needed to check on. That way she'd be able to meet her self-imposed deadline of getting Mrs. Trowbridge the full itinerary for the day of the ball before her meetings.

It seemed she barely had time to look towards the car door being opened once they arrived at the Featheringtons before Katherine had her arms full of a crying Marina. Katherine placed a hand on top of the young woman's and wrapped an arm around her waist. She mouthed thank you and smiled over Marina's head to Penelope who simply nodded her head with a smile.

"I take it the letter wasn't what you expected?" Katherine asked.

Marina shook her head. "He said that we never had anything and that he didn't acknowledge my situation."

Katherine's heart broke for her, holding her close as Marina once more started to cry. She knew this feeling all too well. She looked out the window, taking a deep breath before focusing back on the girl in her arms. Kissing Marina's head, Katherine just held the girl as she cried. Heartbreak was never a pleasant experience but to be served it this way was the cruelest of all.

"Have you thought about adoption?" Katherine asked once Marina calmed down enough.

"No, I want to keep it," Marina said.

"Then I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. We'll focus on finding you someone later. Preferably someone who isn't a creep and maybe even already has a foot in the grave. That way you don't have to deal with things for long."

Penelope laughed. "You talk about it as if you've considered that yourself."

"Oh, I have." Katherine laughed.

"I would rather not," Marina said.

"Neither would I," Katherine whispered, smiling softly as Eddie slowed to a stop outside of the Featherington home once more. "We'll figure things out. Let yourself have today, Marina. Cry, grieve, whatever you need to do but come Trowbridge's ball, I want to see your crown back in place and ready to take on the world because a man who is capable of this, is not worth your tears. You are a queen. Don't ever forget that. And same goes for you, Penelope. Call me if you need anything else, alright?"

"Thanks, Kitty!" Penelope said as she got out of the car.

Marina gave Katherine one last hug, thanking the woman before following Penelope out. With the door shut, she let out a heavy sigh. What was it with men today acting like complete idiots?

❀

After work, Katherine made her way to Will Mondrich's gym. She had texted Simon once Daphne had left and asked where she could find him once she finished work. He didn't seem to know that this wasn't a social visit so it was possible that he didn't know that Daphne came to see her. So it made the look on his face even more satisfying when she said, "Hit him again, Will. He needs some sense knocked into him." As she walked into the gym.

Will just laughed, knocking Simon in the shoulder. "Seems like you're in trouble." He teased his friend before turning to Katherine. "Good to see ya, Kitty."

She smiled up at the man. "You too. Send Alice and the kids my love."

He gave her a small salute before climbing out of the boxing ring. She diverted her attention back towards Simon who had walked over to where she stood at the edge of the ring and squatted down to look at her more easily. "What do you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "When are you gonna learn that I know everything?"

"She went to you, didn't she?"

"She sure did. So get your arse down here so we can have a nice little chat. Or would that be too much of a convenient distraction for you?"

Simon sighed, dropping his chin to his chest. "Shit."

"Mmhmm, yup, you're lucky I'm not Anthony. So you wanna talk about it?" She stood up straight, resting her hands on her hips.

"Not particularly but I don't really have a choice." He said as he sat down. Once he was settled, he patted the spot next to him and Katherine climbed up. "She has the next in line interested in her Kitty. How could I not give her up?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Who said something to you?"

"Lydia."

"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe she mentioned Frederich to get your ass in gear?"

"You know maybe you should stop playing matchmaker and start worrying about your own issue."

She shook her head. "Nuh, uh. You are not about to try to push me away too, mister. Just because you marry, doesn't mean that your vow to ending the Basset line is ruined."

"She wants a family, Kitty, I can't give her that."

"Have you tried actually talking to her about all of this?"

He shook his head.

Groaning, Katherine fell backwards, covering her face with her hands. "You're killing me. Actually killing me."

"I'm gonna head to the Scotland office in the morning. You could come with me." He slowly turned around to face her.

She slid her hands down her face until she could see him. "Why are you running away from this?"

"So that's a no, then."

She sighed, sitting up. "I'm not going to run away with you this time, Simon. If you have actual business in Scotland, then, by all means, go. I hope you have a safe trip. I'll see you when you get back but if it's because you're running away from your feelings for Daphne, I'm going to call you an idiot and go home so I can make it to this damn ball."

"I guess I'll see you there then."

"You're being a complete idiot about this." She said as she hopped down from the boxing ring.

About halfway towards the door, she turned around to face him again. "That girl will love you for everything that you can give her. You just need to talk to her, be honest with her. You're a great man Simon, worthy of all the love you receive, even from her. I just hate that you can't see it."

"Says the woman who won't tell her best friend how she feels." He hoped to get her angry at him. Dealing with an angry Katherine was far better than a Katherine who was saying all the right things.

She let out a humorless laugh. "And you wonder why you and I get along so well. See you at the ball, wanker."

❀

"What on earth have you done to Miss Gibbs?" Lydia asked Simon after Katherine passed them, giving Simon a pointed look before being swept away in a dance with Weatherby.

"I told her that I'm planning to go to Scotland soon. She doesn't agree and I pointed out some things that she should focus on instead, like," he chuckled in disbelief, seeing Anthony approach her, "like her relationship with our mutual friend."

It then hit him that if Anthony was there then Daphne would be too. Simon scanned the room, finally landing on Daphne and Frederich. She certainly seemed taken by the young man. He thought he could do this but he couldn't watch her fall for someone that could give her the life she deserved. Especially when they started dancing.

Telling Lydia one last goodbye, Simon made his way out of the venue, walking right by Katherine and Anthony.

"Where is he going?" Anthony asked.

"He's planning on going to Scotland," Katherine answered with a roll of her eyes.

"Do I want to know?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Now, tell me again, what's going on?"

He held up a sheet of paper that held a list of names in his mother's handwriting. "Mum gave me a list of prospective women that would make a good wife and is expecting me to choose one soon."

She brought her hand up to try and keep her amused look hidden and she tried to control the laughter that was bubbling up until she saw her name on the list. "Wait a minute, is that my name?"

Eyes widening, he pulled the paper back to him to read over. "Oh my god, what?"

"Did you not read the list?"

"Clearly not or I wouldn't have..." he trailed off as an idea began to form in his head.

Katherine shook her head. "No. Nope. No. I don't like that look, Anthony Bridgerton. Whatever it is, no."

"We could help each other out." He tried to persuade.

"Nope. Fake relationships do not work. I'm either vetting a name on that list or we're gonna start truly dating."

"You would actually say yes if I asked you out on a date?"

"That is a very strong maybe. Depends on if you really meant it or not and how scared I was to ruin our friendship." Her eyes widened when she realized how honestly she answered. Slowly starting to back up, Katherine motioned with her hands, pointing behind her. "I'm just...Don't listen to...I gotta go." She turned around and hurried off before Anthony could stop her.

Anthony chased after her, however. He couldn't let her just leave after that. Her answer gave him hope. Maybe she had been feeling the same way about him as he had her. If she had chosen differently during the incident, he would have supported her. She always had a special place in his heart that he tried to fill basically the day she left for her time abroad.

Just as he got to the front of the venue, Eddie was pulling the car around. "Kitty, wait!" He called out.

She turned around, wide eyes looking up at him as he hurried down the rest of the steps to get to her. Anthony grabbed hold of her hand, keeping her in place so she wouldn't run as the car stopped behind them. "Can we not talk about it?"

Katherine shook her head. "I know you're still not over Sienna and I can't be your rebound."

"But you wouldn't be."

"Anthony, I saw the photos of you leaving the stage door of her latest show. You did it recently. I will be more than happy to be your friend and help you get over this breakup. I just can't be the next girl you get on top of to get over it."

"You would never be that for me, Kit."

She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "It would feel that way to me and I don't want that to hang over any kind of relationship I could have with you." She slowly started to back up, letting her hand stay in his until the last possible moment. "I care about you a lot. And if you were to care about me in that same way, I'd need to know that we would be choosing each other because we purely want to, not because you're there for me after my wanker of an ex left or because I'm there for you when you finally end things with someone you've been so enamoured with that you wouldn't leave her for a long time after practically everyone tells you that you should. So until you don't get jealous over the thought of Sienna being with someone else, you and I must remain friends."

Finally letting his hand go, she gave him a small, sad smile, leaving him speechless as she got into the car. Anthony stood there watching as the taillights got out of sight, trying to figure out what he needed to do next. There was too much to even think about. She practically just confirmed she had begun to care more for him during that semester. He never expected it to be reciprocated. She was too good at keeping those things hidden.

It seemed like he'd need to show her that he would never break her heart. And show her that he was in fact over Sienna but that part might be a little more difficult. Yet the thought of Katherine finding someone else before he could do so made his jealousy and anger flare. He just wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure of, was that he was confused now more than ever.


End file.
